Game to War
by Borzoi
Summary: Between dealing with his siblings, his quest to become king and his impending fatherhood, Klaus has his hands full. So when his favourite distraction pays him an unexpected visit, complication is on the horizon... Just a fluffy little one-shot for writing practice, set after TO 1x01. *Okay, okay - three-shot it is! ;)*
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone,**

**after losing my writing flow upon finishing Sanctuaries - and going into severe panic mode over that - I wrote this one-shot as a mere excercise to get back into the spirit. So please be gentle, it is really just a little something which I nonetheless hope some of you might enjoy. I know, Klaus/Caroline is probably not going to happen as they are suddenly trying to sell Hayley as the nice girl next door who has soo much in common with Klaus (uh-huh!), but it would seem that I still like to write about those two together. ;) **

**Set after TO 1x01, and I do of course not own either TO or TVD.  
**

**Please enjoy! :)**

**XX**

* * *

The swamps surrounding Lake Cataouatche, a popular fishing spot right south of New Orleans, were not overly dense and dark, but they would need to suffice for the time being. He could not afford to leave the city for any length of time, not right now, not with everything that seemed to be coming at him from all sides. Yet he urgently craved a few moments of silence and solitude to clear his head. With his thoughts in a turmoil greater than any he had experienced for centuries, he was prone to make mistakes, and that was the very last thing he needed in the Big Easy's current climate of betrayal, violence and more or less veiled threats. Strategies needed to be developed, decisions had to be made, and for all of that, he required the full functionality of his considerable brains.

Klaus closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath of damp night air. It was almost midnight, and yet the night did not seem to bring any respite from the day's heat and humidity. Giving a mirthless smile at how nature mirrored the atmosphere in the Quarter to perfection - or was it the other way around? - he settled on a large, weathered boulder and focused his senses on the animal sounds surrounding him, trying to erase every distraction, every unwanted thought from his mind. Listening to crickets, toads and even the occasional bullfrog, he felt himself settle. Well, not that the Original Hybrid could ever truly and completely relax, but this was as close as it got, and over the years he had learned to make the most of what little relief he could give his tortured mind and senses.

It was not until very much later that he allowed his thoughts to revisit today's events. _Elijah._ Klaus' eyes closed involuntarily at the remembrance of the moment he had daggered his older brother. It had been a necessary step, considering how his sibling's sentimentalities were beginning to cloud his judgement. In his own way, Elijah at times even surpassed Rebekah when it came to being led astray by feelings and neediness. Klaus had never understood how his siblings were so blind to the fact that securing their survival was their first and foremost duty, and that any sort of attachment to anyone outside of their family invited in weakness, vulnerability and ultimately, their doom. How could they still not have gathered the principle of their existence? They were the most powerful family ever, and that was what they were meant to be and would continue being for the rest of eternity. No-one, not Marcel, not the bloody witches, not the werewolf girl and her spawn, would ever be allowed to jeopardize their position. He would make certain of that, the way he had done for a thousand years. He had seen Elijah's eyes resting on Hayley with the little spark in them that no other woman beside Katerina had ever been able to evoke, and he had understood what that meant. His brother cared for the unborn child, it was obvious, but it was even more evident that the baby was not his only reason for doing what he had done.

With a heavy sigh, Klaus ran a hand through his hair. He had always hoped that Elijah's penchant for pursuing the most unsuitable of women had culminated in the Petrova doppelgangers, but it would seem he had been sadly mistaken after all. Hayley was an attractive girl, who was he to deny it, but certainly not the most beautiful or spirited they had ever encountered. What weighed even more heavily was the girl's lack of class. Klaus had never judged a woman for having sex without being in love - he himself had never had sex _being_ in love - but in his eyes, that was not what 'class' was about. It was about something else. She had no style, no culture, and what was even worse, no wish to better herself in that respect. It had not been more than mildly entertaining to sleep with her; her passivity had taken him by surprise, and not pleasantly so. He liked his women more lively, more adventurous and sassy in bed. For a split second, an image of Caroline appeared before him, standing in his Mystic Falls mansion, fearlessly yelling at him that she should have turned her back on him ages ago. Suppressing a smile, he forced the thought out of his mind and refocused. Caroline was the very last thing he needed to distract him right now. He had told Elijah that he had not cared for anything in centuries, and it had been an outright lie. Part of him had been secretly relieved that Caroline had turned down his invitation to come and stay with him in New Orleans. Back in Mystic Falls, everyone knew he had 'a thing' for her, as they used to call it, but no-one, not even Caroline herself, had any idea of how deep it truly went. And not a soul would ever know, for nothing would mean a greater threat to him and his family than his own feelings for the vivacious blonde who had been a challenge at first and subsequently turned into something entirely unexpected. Yet, he must not delude himself about what his true fear was. She _was_ a liability, but what paralyzed him even more than the danger she represented should Marcel or the witches ever hear so much as a whisper of what she meant to him, was how overwhelmingly afraid he was of how she made him feel. It was frightening, dangerous and of absolutely no use to anyone, least of all to him and his quest for power, hence he was best advised to preoccupy his thoughts with things that had a more immediate effect on his life and his goals as he was currently pursuing them.

There was no denying that daggering Elijah had hurt him almost physically, and some long-lost corner of his heart was bitterly sorry for what he had done. However, he needed to handle things in his own way, and his brother's increasing attachment to Hayley and the unborn child was becoming more and more of an obstacle. _The child._ He had still not entirely grasped the concept of becoming a father, and _why _all of this had happened_._ Hayley had not been the first werewolf he had slept with, so what Sophie Devereaux had called 'nature's loophole' had to have something to do with his transformation into a hybrid. Well, he might just as well indulge in finding out more when all of this was over, in order to avoid anything like this from ever happening again, but for now, he needed to be practical. He had accepted that this baby was to become a reality in a few months' time, that it was blood of his blood, and what was his, he would protect. This did not, however, include the werewolf girl. Once the child was born, he would entrust the care for the baby to his sister. He had briefly considered killing Hayley, and he had not finally made up his mind on whether to follow through or simply send her on her way. His tendency was toward the latter, and for one simple reason. Her path would invariably lead her to Tyler sooner or later, and that was exactly what Klaus wanted. He had given Caroline his word not to harm the mutt, but he had not promised not to do everything in his power to drive a wedge between them. And Hayley would prove to be an excellent wedge, once Tyler got over his self-righteous indignation at having been betrayed by the girl he had believed to be his friend. The moment the baby was born, Hayley would cease to be of importance to either the witches or anyone else - with the remarkable exception of Elijah - which would give him the freedom to finally end Marcel, his cronies and the bloody witches. He was still reeling with rage over how impertinently Sophie Devereaux - with his own brother's blessing - had dared to dictate his actions, and the damned witch would pay dearly for it when the moment came. In the meantime, he would need to work on cementing a broader basis for his ambitions, which meant that he had to win allies. It was not that he could truly be killed, but taking on an entire army of vampires on his own was not only strenuous, it was downright stupid. A kingdom based on nothing but a pure coup d'état, without the commitment and support of devoted underlings, could never hope to be one of stability and perpetuity, which was one of the simple truths of ruling he had understood over the course of the centuries. So he would stay in Marcel's and the witches' good graces for now, finding out every single piece of information he could and being at his most persuasive, charming... and threatening. Once the moment to strike arrived, Marcel would be _very_ surprised. Although the boy should not be. He should remember his sire well enough to know that when the smoke cleared, Klaus _always_ came out on top.

Once he felt his inner turmoil subside enough to face the world anew, he made his way back to the city at full Original speed, knowing he was too fast for any of Marcel's watchmen to discern, and finally coming to a halt in front of Rousseau's. There had been something about that bartender, Cami, that seemed to have captured his former protégé's genuine attention, and Klaus intended to take full advantage of that. Even if she turned out to be no more than a fleeting interest for Marcel, he _was_ interested for the time being, which meant that she was of major importance to Klaus. Marcel did not share his toys, and he hovered over them almost as carefully as Klaus did over his, therefore he would keep a very keen eye on this girl. And... he also needed to watch himself - the little bartender was clever, very observant and downright curious, and he would not play into Marcel's hands by revealing anything of a personal nature to her.

Stepping into the crowded room, he felt dozens of eyes on him. The chatter quieted almost imperceptibly, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of Marcel's 'inner circle' of daywalkers disappear into a backroom, undoubtedly informing his master of Klaus' arrival. He spotted Cami at the end of the long counter and slowly made his way across the crowded room. He kept his eyes on her and suppressed a satisfied grin when he saw her noticing him and blushing ever so slightly. Oh yes, the girl liked him, and this would prove invaluable going forward. For now, she returned her attention to a guest sitting opposite her at the counter, someone Klaus could not yet see through the thick throngs of vampires and humans that populated the room. He was just about to reach the heavy wooden bar when a large group of people parted and he could finally see who Cami was talking to so animatedly. It was a woman, a slender girl with long, blond hair that fell over her shoulders in soft waves. A fancy drink was in her hand, and her laughter floated through the air, a light, carefree sound that made all his insides go soft and rigid at the same time.

It was Caroline.

_No. What in hell's name is she doing here? _Klaus ignored how his heart seemed to briefly stutter, and how some rebellious part of him wanted to shove everything and everyone aside, flash over to her and just crush her in his arms. Yet, he needed her out of here before anyone took too keen an interest in the new arrival. And in the way he was all but drinking her in right now. Brazing for what he was about to do and doing his utmost to appear indifferent, he approached her, gave a flushed Cami a quick nod and leaned on the counter next to Caroline. He knew that she had noticed him even before he had appeared at her side, and knowing that she could feel his presence in the midst of a crowded room did something to his heart again. Very slowly, her head turned, and he saw her eyes brighten. _Come on. I do not need this right now. _

"Klaus," she breathed, a guarded smile splitting her face.

"Caroline," he said formally, giving a courteous nod and leaning over to kiss her cheek. _Damn_. She smelled like... gold, ivory... light. And what was even worse, he could hear her heart miss a beat when his lips briefly touched the velvety softness of her skin. Just like his own did. "What are you doing here? Are you not supposed to be hundreds of miles away, preparing for yet another lecture on 'Problems and Ethics of Journalism in Society'?" At the very same moment, he saw her eyes widen and he could have bitten his tongue. Could he have been any more obvious in displaying his stalking tendencies?

"How...?" she started to say but stopped at the sight of his dark glare, and confusion spread on her lovely features. He knew she had expected him to be thrilled at her unexpected visit, and bloody hell, he was, but this was dangerous for her, and he needed her to leave. Immediately.

"Excuse me for a moment," he muttered and disappeared towards the restrooms without any further explanation. Once he had closed the cubicle door behind him, he grabbed his phone and typed at full Original speed.

**Leave the bar. Now. Meet me at the Blind Lagoon, east of the city, in thirty minutes. No discussion, Caroline.**

Ten seconds later, his mobile vibrated.

**Fine.**

With a subdued sigh of relief, he stepped out of the restroom only to run straight into Marcel. "Hey, man, what's up?" the younger vampire bellowed with false joviality, bringing a hand crashing down on Klaus' shoulder. "Where've you been all day?"

Forcing his most boyish grin, Klaus put his own arm around Marcel's shoulders. "You know how it is, mate. Always busy. So why do you not buy the next round and tell me about _your_ day?"

With a thundering laugh, Marcel pulled him towards the bar. "Still trying to find out about my secret? Forget it, friend!"

"We shall see," Klaus muttered while scrutinizing the room, finding her gone. Good. "I have the distinct notion that one day, you will be only too happy to tell me, Marcel." He raised a brow at the other man's thunderous laughter and let himself be dragged off to where Cami was polishing glasses, inconspicuously eyeing the two of them.

But his thoughts were elsewhere.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Klaus arrived at the barren shores of the Blind Lagoon. He stood quietly for a moment, concentrating, and after an instant, he heard her breathing from a cluster of small trees to his right. Without any further hesitation, he flashed towards her, taking her by surprise judging by the startled look on her face. She really needed to pay more attention to her surroundings, he thought wryly, or she would not last overly long in this insane supernatural world, even less so with him unable to be at her side. They stared at each other for a few heartbeats... _irregular _heartbeats... before Caroline put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him.

"What was that all about, Klaus? You nag me forever to come and see you here, and when I do, you just order me around, sending me away? What's going on?"

"Nothing. All is well. Caroline, you know that I am always delighted to see you, and I am very sorry indeed, but we will have to postpone your visit to another time. I am rather busy for now, and I..."

Her voice pierced his like a razor. "Cut it out. I don't believe you. Something is wrong, and I want you to tell me what it is. You have never, _never _been too busy for me, not even when you were in the midst of making hybrids, looking for the cure or hunting down Tyler, and you've apparently even bothered to find out about my college schedule. So you'd better tell me what's the matter."

Klaus had to stifle a smile. She was one hundred percent _Caroline_, as always, the only one who ever dared bossing him around. And the only one whom he would ever allow to do so. "Things are rather complicated right now. I have many a problem to handle, and as much as I have always appreciated your role as my permanent distraction, I cannot be bothered with any diversions in the current situation. I must therefore ask you to please return to Whitmore and not come to New Orleans again unless I tell you it is safe to do so."

"Safe? What do you mean, safe? Are you in any danger? Is Silas...?"

He shook his head, rigidly controlling his overwhelming desire to reach out and touch her face. It was glowing in the pallid moonlight, although Klaus was not entirely certain it was the moon that made her glow. Maybe it was her very own light, the light he had irresistibly been drawn to ever since he had first laid eyes on her. Clenching his teeth and balling his hands into fists, he fought the feeling down with all his might.

"No, this is not about Silas. Suffice it to say that New Orleans is no place for you at present, and I must ask you to trust my judgement on this. Go back to college, Caroline. Tonight. I will... come and see you once everything is resolved to my satisfaction, but I need you to leave. Go. Now. Or I will make you." His last words were uttered in a low, eerie hiss, a tone he had learned over the years made everyone's skin crawl. He should have known better. Caroline simply glared at him and folded her arms across her chest.

"Nice try, Klaus. You said it yourself - you'd never hurt me, so you can just as well stop trying to scare me off. It doesn't work, not anymore. Not with me. And you should know me well enough to realize that I'm not sent away that easily when I don't want to go. So spit it out already. Why are you so keen on me leaving? And incidentally... you haven't even asked me why I'm here." Her voice had lowered to a mere whisper, and despite her cheekiness, he could sense the insecurity behind her last words. It touched something deep inside him, something only she had ever been able to reach, and he did not even understand what it was. The only thing he knew was that however much he tried, he could not resist after all, for she was right. He needed to know. Taking one measured step towards her, he locked his eyes with hers.

"Why are you here, Caroline?" he whispered, marvelling at seeing her eyes widen and hearing her breathing hitch infinitesimally. He had known for a while that despite her continuous protestations, she was anything but immune to him, and yet her reactions, these little, almost unnoticeable signs, never failed to leave him thunderstruck. So... if he pulled out all the stops, pressed and each every button he had learned to push over his long millennium on this Earth, he had no doubt whatsoever that she would succumb to his charms in no more than the blink of an eye. But for the first time in his life, instant gratification was not what he was after. It had taken him long enough to understand that he needed her to come to him, that in this one single case, between the two of them, it was the only way. Yes, he was able to seduce her, but he was not willing to act on that knowledge. Not yet. Not before Caroline had thrown every doubt, every reservation overboard and seduced _him._ And now here she stood before him, her face flushed, her eyes sparkling. She had come after him, and despite still seeing the doubt in her eyes, Klaus understood what an incredible step this was for her. For both of them. Only that she had chosen to take this step at the very worst of moments.

Caroline cleared her throat and looked up at him fearlessly. Oh, how he liked it when she looked at him like that! "I am here because you invited me a gazillion times. I am here because I want you to show me your city, as you promised me on the phone that day. I am here because I... need to know something."

And once more, Klaus was unable to resist. "What do you need to know?" he asked quietly, taking another step. They were inches apart now, so close that he could all but feel the warmth emanating from her. She bit her lip, very obviously suppressing a shiver.

"I need to know why I _wanted_ to come. Why I wanted to see you."

He closed his eyes for a moment, concentrating on the desperate struggle to bring his raging system back to order. _I wanted to see you._ Klaus let himself savour her words, those words he had longed to hear for such a long time, before he focused his entire being on what he needed to do now. Heaven and hell knew there was nothing he could ever have wanted less than send her away, but she could not stay. If a few whispered words could throw him off balance like this, the Gods only knew what her continuous presence would cause inside him and as a consequence, to everything he was planning. Had he not just daggered his own brother for no other reason than being a sentimental fool? With an effort that strained him more than he had ever thought possible, he made his voice sound politely detached while giving her an indifferent smile.

"Caroline, listen very carefully. I do appreciate your coming here, you know that I do, but right now is simply not the time. Go back to college and concentrate on your studies and on your... freshman parties or whatever else it is young college girls occupy their time with." He paused. "Let me know if you need anything, if you are in trouble or if anyone bothers you at all." _Whoever puts a hand on you, love, will _beg _me to let him die._ "Whatever it is you require, I will gladly give it to you. But for now, I need to truly focus on my business in this town, and I simply do not have the time to play tour guide." Seeing her wince at his last harsh words, he gritted his teeth. He hated being like this with her, but she would never leave otherwise. And her next words proved him right.

"Why is it that I still don't believe you, Klaus?" she asked calmly, although he could hear her accelerated heartbeat. "Look, I came all the way from Whitmore to see you. Don't you think you owe me the truth? You've always been honest with me, as far as I can tell, so please don't destroy what little integrity I see in you." She gave him a lopsided grin, and it was all he could do not to grin back at her. He briefly lifted a corner of his mouth in a cold smirk before he stepped back, trying to put some distance between himself and her intoxicating scent. Honesty. Maybe he should give her a little piece of the truth, the one piece that would make her leave and not attempt to return anytime soon. She would learn about it eventually, but if he bent the facts a little now, it would blow things out of proportion and make her despise him again. Then, someday, when everything was over, he would rectify the situation, and he would find a way to make her forgive him just as she had forgiven so many of his cruelties already. But for now, he just needed her gone. Ignoring the stubborn part of his subconscious that was whispering how he needed anything but that, he straightened to his full height and gave her a condescending smile.

"You want honesty? Well then, I am most happy to oblige. The truth, Caroline, is that I am about to become a father. The woman in question lives under my roof, and I do not deem it a very clever idea to have you interfere with my... domestic situation."

There was a deafening silence when her jaw dropped and her incredulous eyes sought his. Klaus could clearly see that she was desperately looking for signs that he was lying, that he was making a sick joke, so he remained quiet and simply returned her gaze. Ever so slowly, he saw realization dawn on the lovely face he had grown to care for so deeply. Hurt was invading her beautiful blue eyes, hurt and betrayal of an intensity so unexpected it made him wince inside and want to pull her close and reassure her that none of this had anything to do with what she meant to him. Another truth, but one he could not speak.

"That's impossible. I mean, vampires can't procreate, so how could that happen? And who... who is she?" Her eyes narrowed when a sudden thought seemed to cross her mind. "The bartender, the blonde? I saw her looking at you and.."

"No," he replied coolly, "it is not her. It happened back in Mystic Falls, and as to _how_ it happened, I believe you are well acquainted with the proceedings of hot hybrid sex, is that not right? But I do not know how the pregnancy was at all possible. The world of the supernatural seems to have some surprises in store every now and then. Be that as it may, you will understand my reasons for not wanting you here, do you not?"

"Mystic Falls?" Caroline whispered, her voice on the verge of breaking. It made his heart clench very uncomfortably, and he braced for her next words. "When you were still in Mystic Falls, you... well, I thought... never mind. So who is she?"

Summoning up all of his acting skills, he gave her a little scoff. "Caroline, if you care to remember, you have been rejecting all of my advances, every single one of them, from the very beginning. I do not believe you have any right to be cross with me over sleeping with someone else while you are shagging that pathetic boyfriend of yours. What do you expect from me, Miss Forbes? Eternal celibacy while pining away for you? Please. Let us skip the drama and concentrate on what matters, which is you leaving town. I do not want you here, complicating things for all concerned parties."

"I could not care less about what you want right now. Who _is_ she, Klaus?" Caroline snapped, her hands back on her hips now. A flash of warmth raced through him at the fire in her eyes. And the poorly disguised jealousy in her tone. For an instant, he wondered whether he had ever wanted anyone the way he wanted Caroline right now. With another great effort, he let his eyes ice over before he deployed the one weapon he knew would win him the battle, this little war he did not want but had to fight.

"Her name... is Hayley."

It had the effect of a pistol whip. Caroline recoiled and took a few steps back, staring at him with such disgust that he would almost have laughed out loud, had there not been a faint glimmer in her eyes. _No. Fight the tears, Caroline, please, or I will never be able to see this through._ She swallowed, and Klaus saw she was doing exactly what he had silently begged her to do - she was battling her tears. In a nonchalant move, he leaned against the nearest tree, gazing at her with false indifference and waiting for her to say something. Or leave. But she just stood there, her eyes on him, her hands balled to fists so tight that her knuckles were turning white. After a very long while, she spoke again.

"Out of all people in the world, you had to get it on with that _bitch_? She betrayed Tyler, she betrayed everyone, and she willingly and knowingly worked on sending twelve hybrids into certain death! Could you have found a greater slut anywhere?"

"Says the woman whose boyfriend dedicated his life to kill me, no matter who else was to be hurt in the course of the events? Who repeatedly used you as bait to distract me, not caring about whether I would injure or even kill you? Who prefers to spend his time hidden away in some wilderness, allegedly _helping_ a werewolf pack, instead of dedicating his time to the woman he claims to love, now that he is once again free to do so?" It was a very low blow, and he knew it. The look on her face spoke volumes. Klaus could have kicked himself, yet he needed her to leave, and getting her angry was the quickest way to achieve that goal. Caroline stared at him, her eyes clouded, very obviously trying to hold it together and get a grip on her emotions. Taking a couple of deep breaths, she pressed her lips into a thin line before asking another question.

"Do you feel something for her?"

He raised a brow and returned her gaze evenly. "Yes, I do." _Indifference. Disinterest. Disdain._

"I see." She lifted her head and looked at him, her usual defiance returning to her eyes. She had gathered her wits, and Klaus was beyond grateful for it. This would only take a few more moments, then Caroline would be on her way and out of danger, and he would go about his business without any further distraction from her. "I wouldn't have taken you for someone like that, Klaus, for someone who gives what is left of his nonexistent heart so easily first to one girl and then to the next after not having felt anything for centuries," she said, her voice as distant and cold as his own, "but as all of you don't fail to point out on a regular basis, I'm just a baby vampire, and what do I know about life and people?" Turning towards the small road that led to the lake, she gave him a curt nod and muttered, "Good luck. And don't call me."

Klaus watched her stalk off at human speed, her shoulders rigid, and he could not help the consuming sense of loss that threatened to overwhelm him at the sight. It had taken him long, _so_ long, to finally reach a status of something remotely resembling friendship with her, and he did not even want to think about the herculean efforts he would have to make to get back into her good graces once his problems were solved. He would do everything in his power, and he would never yield until he succeeded, but it would be one piece of work. He looked at her slowly retreating frame again, feeling the mask of indifference crumble from his face. He craved her, now more than ever, and knowing that tonight, she had offered him the possibility of making her want him with equal measure on a silver plate did not make things any easier. Closing his eyes, he confined her scent to memory, that bewitching, sweet scent that lingered in the air even after she had left. That grew stronger in his mind by the second. That was becoming... too strong to merely be in his head. His eyes flew open, zeroing in on Caroline's slender frame standing right in front of him again.

"What..." he started to say, only to be interrupted by her finger on his lips.

"You lied to me, Klaus," she whispered. "It's still me, isn't it? I could see it in your eyes when you came to my graduation and told me you intended to be my last love, and I can see it on your face now. You don't _want_ me to go, despite all this baby and Hayley business. Which I am still not sure when and how to forgive you for, but that's not the point, at least not right now. Why are you really sending me away? And stop evading the truth," she commanded imperiously. Klaus was acutely aware of her finger that was still lingering on his lips. In a gesture so tender it surprised himself, he covered her hand with his and softly kissed her finger. Once, twice. He saw her eyes close and suppressed a sigh when he took her hand and placed it on his cheek, leaning into her touch. She tore her eyes open again, and although he could clearly read the igniting desire in them, he also saw the deep-rooted doubt. She was afraid of her own courage in coming here, and confused about the contradicting feelings she harboured for him. Strong feelings they must be, one way or the other, or she would never have come. Realizing that, there was no chance for him to keep his mask in place as he smiled at her, his fingers imperceptibly caressing hers.

"I did tell you the truth. There is an eclectic variety of problems I am currently facing, and I require my full concentration to handle them. Yes, you are right, Caroline, I do not _want_ you to go, and I do not feel a thing for Hayley. It was a drunken tryst, no more, no less, whose consequences we are all facing now. Look, love, there is little I could ever want less than your departure, but you cannot stay for a number of reasons, not the least of which is your own confusion when it comes to me."

"How am I supposed to ever get that straight if I don't see you?" she demanded, her thumb gently stroking the side of his face which made him want to close his eyes and just stand there for hours, enjoying her touch. Instead, he gave a light chuckle.

"You will have enough boring lectures at college to provide you with the time to think about it. And I will give you another piece of truth, trusting you to be reasonable enough to accept my judgement on this. There are many people in this town who would like to see me and my family defeated. Whilst this is not something that is easily accomplished - if at all - those people will gladly take every opportunity to use our weaknesses against us. Elijah's nobility and sentimentality, Rebekah's craving for allegiance and attention, my... _thing_ for you. And I cannot and will not allow anything to interfere with my plans to take back what is rightfully mine."

They were both silent for a long while. But neither hand moved so much as an inch. Finally, Caroline raised her eyes to his and pressed her fingers more firmly to his cheek. "So I am your weakness, is that what you are saying?" When he did not reply, she took another step towards him, and now it were his eyes that widened at the sudden move. "Tell me something. Will you ever stop being a megalomaniac terror?" She sighed. "Klaus, you said you wanted me to choose you, but you know me. How do you think I could consider that at all, without any second thoughts, if all you can ever think about is how to bring others to their knees and have them dance to your tune? Why is that so important to you, anyway?"

Now it was his turn to sigh. Elijah had asked him the same question. "It is who I am, Caroline. I am the most powerful being in the world, and I want everyone to know that there is no trifling with me, or my family for that matter. I have spent centuries running from my father, unable to strike roots or lay my head down for a quiet night's sleep without having to look over my shoulder at every turn. That is what I have grown tired of, and that is why I want no-one, _no-one,_ to question my power ever again. It is a permanent home I crave, a family, a kingdom, and I can have none of it while I have not erased each and every single threat to my plans."

"I understand that - well, up to a point, at least," Caroline muttered, "but how do you plan on ruling a kingdom, have peace and convince me to choose you if your universal solution for any kind of problem is to rip off everyone's head?"

"I did not rip off Tyler's after all, did I now?" he retorted, his eyes soft when they rested on her angelic face. "And to my knowledge, the Salvatores are still alive as well. I even provided Damon with my blood without asking for anything in return when I last visited Mystic Falls, would you not consider that some kind of progress?"

She smiled at that. "I suppose we will have to make do with small steps for the time being."

Giving a chuckle, he removed her hand from his cheek and bowed his head to plant a gentle kiss on her fingers. Then his face turned stern as he raised his eyes to hers. "Caroline, I am very serious about this. However much I would love to have you here, by my side, showing you the wonders of New Orleans like I intend to do someday, I need you to leave. Will you, for once, please not fight me?" His voice lowered into a barely audible whisper, and once again, he heard her heartbeat accelerate. This girl would be the death of him, that much was certain. "I am thinking of you every single day, and that is not going to change. Whatever the future will bring, wherever our paths may lead us, this is the one thing you must never doubt. You have told me once that you knew this, but you have never heard me say it, and that is what I want you to take with you wherever you go. And whatever becomes of us." He could not help the crack in his own voice, but for the first time in his life, he did not care. Taking her other hand, he brought both of her hands up to his lips and kissed them lingeringly.

"You were right. I _am_ in love with you, Caroline."

Her eyes closed and he felt her squeeze his hands so hard it would have pulverized a regular vampire's bones. They stood like that forever until she opened her eyes again. He saw determination... and something else.

"All right, I will leave. Until everything is solved. But before I do, I am asking one thing of you."

"Name it. It is yours."

She looked into his eyes, then at his lips, and back into his eyes. All of his insides seemed to turn into jelly at her breathless whisper.

"With your own lips. In your own body."

Klaus knew he should refuse. Send her on her way without further complicating things between them... but rationality had never been one of his core competencies. Nor had restraint. He would make the very most of this one moment, of this one instant that was theirs alone - and he would give her something to think about. His hands cupped her face, his thumbs softly stroking her cheeks as he drew her near. She did not close her eyes, as if wanting to savour every second of what was about to happen, wanting to read each and every emotion on his face. And for once, he would gladly let her. In slow motion, he brushed his lips across her cheekbone, his voice a silken purr.

"I know that one day, my breathtaking Miss Forbes, you will allow me to do what I have been desperately craving ever since our first dance. You will let me make love to you."

He heard Caroline give a small gasp, saw her eyes close and breathed another feather-light kiss on her soft skin, this time on her temple.

"Very gently, very tenderly..."

He kissed her right eye while his hands moved to caress her neck.

"Discovering every inch of your beautiful body..."

His lips were on her left eye, and the tips of his fingers never stopped exploring the velvety skin beneath her jawline.

"Giving you every pleasure you can think of..."

He pressed a tender kiss to the corner of her mouth, feeling himself harden at her helpless little moan.

"And even more pleasures you could not even put a name to..."

The other corner of her mouth. Another soft moan that drove him right out of his mind.

"Until you beg me to take you like the savage I have turned into."

And after an eternity of yearning, longing, wanting, Klaus' lips finally touched hers. His eyes closed, and he was utterly defenseless against the sensations invading his system. Everything about her was sweetness, passion and pleasure, even more so when her lips parted and willingly granted him entrance. Her soft, delicious tongue met his immediately, playing with him, challenging him. Wanting him. He could all but taste her want, her desire for _him, _which was what made him entirely lose his head. He smashed her onto a fallen tree trunk, burying her beneath him, not able to stop a wild groan from escaping when he felt her heated response. Her hands were all over his back, pulling him to her while she kissed him with a ferocity he would never have expected from playful, gentle Caroline Forbes. _Fuck. I'll never be able to stop this. _Their breathing was ragged, laboured, and Klaus' lips raced over her neck, his tongue leaving shimmering, wet traces on her lovely skin while his human teeth bit her again and again, soft and hard at the same time. Her increasingly uncontrolled moans did their own to spur him on, not that he needed any persuasion whatsoever, and he began to slowly lose himself, forgetting everything and everyone but Caroline. Hell, how he wanted this girl! Her hands had slipped underneath his Henley, making him give a dark, feral growl at feeling her fingers on his bare skin. Tearing open the top button of her shirt, he buried his mouth in her cleavage, unable to get enough of the intoxicating taste of her skin and her sounds of lust that filled the night like a symphony. A symphony written for no-one but him.

_And Tyler Lockwood._

The thought was like a gust of cold water, making him fall out of the heavens and crash back onto Planet Problem with a very loud thud. Chivalry be damned, but... this was not right. Not now, not like this. Squeezing his eyes shut and suppressing a frustrated groan, he softly kissed his way back up to her face, holding her close and slowing them both down with calm determination. When her eyes opened with some difficulty, they were glazed and dreamy, and once more, Klaus' heart constricted at how indescribably beautiful she was to him. Even more so now that she had allowed him - no, _asked _him - to taste her. He wanted her, he wanted _everything_ from her, but the last few minutes had strengthened his resolve. What she could give him, he needed her to give wholeheartedly and without any reserve. He wanted her to give herself to him and to him alone. He would never tolerate another man - boy, in this case, he thought with an inward snort - looming in the back of her head. _Damn. What did this girl do to you, Niklaus?_

Sitting up, he pulled her onto his lap, carefully avoiding gathering her _too_ close, for the thresholds of his self-control had been lowered to virtual nonexistence, and he was painfully aware that it would not take more than a little friction for him to forfeit all reason and do what he was dying to do right now. Gently caressing her face, he gave her another soft kiss and leaned his forehead against hers with a heavy sigh, feeling her arms wind around his body.

"What is it, Klaus?" she whispered, still a little breathless, "why did you stop? I mean, it was... _wow._"

_Yes. That does not even begin to describe it._

He kissed her temple again and rested his cheek against hers, his lips close to her ear. "Caroline, I do want you. Madly. So madly that I do not trust my own restraint." She snuggled closer to him, and her gasp echoed his when her thigh brushed his rock-hard erection.

"What do you need restraint for?" she murmured, her lips suddenly on his neck. When her tongue touched his skin, Klaus let his head fall back and gave a soft moan. The feel of her mouth against his flesh was beyond compare, and with every last ounce of his being, he craved more of the sizzling sensation. He pressed her against his neck and locked her in his embrace while giving himself over to her brazen assault.

"Love," he whispered a short moment later when he knew he could not take any more of her tantalizing touch without losing his hold on himself, "you make me ache to take you right here, right now. Is that what you truly want, Caroline? Think carefully."

She leaned back, her hooded eyes on his, and it was more than evident just how badly she wanted to say yes. Almost as badly as he wanted her to. He could see the battle raging inside her head as clearly as if she had been voicing it aloud. After a while, her eyes closed and she let her head sink onto his shoulder again. Her voice was barely audible when she finally spoke.

"Yes and no. Yes because I really want it to happen. It feels... amazing to touch you. To be touched by you. God, I can't believe I'm actually saying this!"

Klaus smiled and pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head, hearing her give a shaky breath. He knew she would need time to grasp that she had kissed _him _of all people - the Big Bad that had besieged Mystic Falls and her friends on more occasions than anyone cared to remember. Another reason for both of them not to do this tonight. He wanted her to decide with absolute certainty whether she did or did not want him, and not have her shag him on a tree trunk out of a sheer whim. Tyler Lockwood was gone and not bound to return anytime soon - something he knew for a fact, from what his informant had told him about the werewolf girl he was _helping_ - but he was a loose end, and Caroline would need to tie that end on her own. Just as he had to put his house in order before he could think of anything further with her. Resting his cheek against her hair, he inhaled her scent, confining it to memory. His eyes closed when she spoke again.

"And no because you're right, Klaus. I don't want it to happen like this." She straightened and took his face in her hands, making him open his eyes to look at her. Her gaze was fierce, open and honest... and something about it made his breathing falter. "When it happens, I want you to lay the world at my feet. I want you to make love to me in a way you've never done before in a thousand years. I want us both to make _love._ And I think neither of us is quite there yet, wouldn't you agree?"

_No, I would not agree, my love. One of us is. _

He covered Caroline's hands with his and very slowly brought his lips to hers, kissing her deeply and making them both sigh with delight. "Will you promise me something?" he asked against her lips when he finally managed to bring himself to release her mouth.

"What?" she breathed, brushing his nose with hers before she pulled him close to kiss him again.

"Promise me that the day you will _let _me lay the world at your feet, the world will include myself."

That pulled a giggle from her, a light, happy sound that made Klaus think of sunlight, a warm breeze and spellbinding beauty.

"So, what will you do once you are at my feet, then?" she teased, humour dancing in her eyes and voice. In a flash, he lifted her from his lap, stood and pressed her against him, her back to his front, one hand gently caressing her throat, the other flat against her stomach. It gave him a deep, intense pleasure to feel her tremble in his arms the way she did. Her heart beat like a jackhammer when his lips touched her earlobe.

"I will kiss my way from your toes... to your feet... your ankles... calves... thighs... and... wherever you want to feel my lips. My tongue. My teeth. My hands. Until I hear you scream my name. And then I would start all over again," he chuckled hoarsely, letting his tongue trace her ear. Caroline's moan had a hint of despair to it, and she leaned into him, her hands at his hips. Her voice, too, was husky when her head dropped onto his shoulder.

"I promise, Klaus. With you, it will be all or nothing. No compromises."

"No compromises."

He whirled her around, burying her in his arms and hugging her to him for a long moment, revelling in how fiercely she held him before he very reluctantly released her. "You should leave now, Caroline, before I truly throw everything overboard. Take my car, I have a garage full of them. I left it in the parking lot right next to the road." He handed her a key. "Drive back and... think. Think long and hard. And, Caroline, whatever you do, wherever you go - do give me your word that you will take good care of yourself."

She stood in front of him, swallowing, her eyes on his face. There was a suspicious moisture in them that made the lump in his throat grow to the size of a watermelon. "Will you do the same, Klaus? I know you can't be killed, but... I have a choice to make, and I don't want that choice taken from me, okay?"

"You have my promise. You will let me know whenever you need me, won't you?"

"Yes," she whispered, then hesitated. "You won't forget about laying the world at my feet, will you, Klaus?"

He kissed her once more, long and hard. "And there I always took you for such a smart woman," he grinned before he cupped her face and stared into her eyes, not making even the smallest of efforts to hide his deep longing. "How can you even ask a question like that, Miss Forbes?"

"Good," she merely said, leaning into him once more before she started to leave. After a few steps, she halted but did not turn around. Her voice was barely audible. "I'll miss you." Without another word, she flashed off, leaving him to stare after her and listen to his own thundering heart. An instant later, he heard his car's engine ignite before screeching tyres told him she had left at top speed.

For a long time, he stood rooted to the spot, eyes closed, trying to process everything that had just happened. He required a moment of peace and silence to store the memories, pure and unpolluted by any external influences so he could produce them in all their splendour whenever he had need for them. Need for _her_. His eyes stared unseeingly in the direction she had disappeared into, and unconsciously, he felt his lips form three silent words.

_Choose me, Caroline._

It was the precise moment he heard a faint sound in the underbrush. With the speed of a snake on the hunt, he turned to identify the source of the noise, but not a second later, a voice resounded from the darkness. An all-too-familiar voice.

"What a remarkable turn of events, my friend," Marcel said with an eerie calm that was very unlike him. "I think the stakes of our little game have just been raised in my favour, wouldn't you agree?"

Closing his eyes again, Klaus fought down the violent surge of hatred and fear that flashed through his system. Hatred for his friend-turned-enemy who had just now been given the perfect weapon by none other than Klaus himself. Fear for the one woman he knew he would forever protect with everything he had.

_As of right now, mate, it is no longer a game. _

_It is war. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Sigh. You really don't make it easy for me to just keep a story limited to one chapter, do you, dearies?! ;) **

**I am completely overwhelmed by the wonderful response to Game to War - something I would never have expected! THANK YOU ALL! You have made me very, very happy, and I am at a bit of a loss for words, to be perfectly honest. **

**So I am taking the opportunity to also thank all those reviewers I cannot reach via PM - Ladow, Nina, Anahita20, BlondeHybridGirl, ScaWinter, Tricia, Lishous69, Marie, Justine, Lily and the anonymous guests. Loved your reviews, guys!  
**

**A very special thanks to the lovely DiabolicalBowlerHat for taking a first look at what is to follow! *Smooch***

**Okay, then - no risk, no fun, right? ;) By public demand - and because I do indeed need more practice - I have decided to turn Game to War into a three-shot. It will not be a fast-paced story, but those who have read my previous fics know that this is how I tick. :)  
**

**A couple of quick remarks: Apologies for any grammar/spelling errors. English is not my first language, so please do cut me some slack. Also, as I am not based in either the US or the UK, I cannot watch TO and am therefore not fully up to speed with what happens in the show. Hence the characters might be a bit OOC, and my story as well as the settings will differ significantly from what you lucky folks overseas are watching. ;)**

**Lastly, I will change the rating to M once I upload the third chapter. I assume most of you won't mind? ;)**

**Dearies, I very, very much hope that you will enjoy practice round number two. Thanks to each and every one of you who have read, reviewed, favourited and followed! I can only repeat myself - you have made me HAPPY! :)**

**XXX**

* * *

With a defiant gesture, Caroline wiped a tear from her cheek and tried to concentrate on her driving. She didn't have the slightest idea why on earth she was crying right now. Wasn't everything just perfectly fine? Klaus had told her he loved her, his kissing had swept her off her feet like nothing else ever had, he would be patiently waiting for her decision, she had all the time in the world to make up her mind and find out what it was she felt for him as opposed to her feelings for Tyler. Oh, and she had just been given a freaking Mercedes SLS convertible! Which would be running out of gas in about fifty miles, she noticed from a quick look at the display and gave a sigh that sounded more like a sob.

She had come to New Orleans because however hard she tried, there seemed to be no way to tear Klaus from her thoughts. Sharing a room with Elena at Whitmore was fun, as was meeting all those new people and attending innumerable parties. It was what she loved, what she had always wanted, and all that she had thought was missing was Tyler, who steadfastly refused to return her calls, let alone join her at Whitmore. She was upset about it, very much so, she missed him and she needed to know where they stood and whether they still had a future together. But none of all this, not even her lingering heartache over the guy she hadn't seen forever but still considered her boyfriend, could match the amount of space Klaus freaking Mikaelson occupied inside her head. It had not happened overnight, that much she knew. From the moment he had set foot in her room so many months ago to feed her his blood, Caroline had found it impossible to just hate him, however desperately she had wanted to. And tried. Well, part of her _had _hated him, but not to the extent she should have, and not in the absolute way he would have deserved for everything he had done. She remembered the night she had lured him out of The Grill to give the gang a chance to get to his younger brother - Damon had told her to keep him occupied for as long as she could, but to her acute embarrassment, that instruction hadn't been the only reason for her to sit down with Klaus. His boyish grin, the fleeting hint of shyness in his voice when he had murmured, '_I dare you'_... It had made her wildly curious. Unexpectedly, she had caught a glimpse of who he was underneath the psychopathic façade, or rather, who he must have been about two hundred lifetimes ago. There had been many more instances when what she considered his original self - no pun intended - had fought its way to the surface in her presence. As much as she struggled against it, she felt irresistibly drawn to that part of him, which in itself was terrible enough to admit, but there was something far worse, something she had never shared with anyone.

Her secret shame consisted in not only being attracted to the buried leftovers of Big Bad's human side. It was Klaus in his entirety. It was all his psycho Original glory that pulled her to him like a damn magnet, however hard she fought it.

Well, not that she needed to actually voice the embarrassing truth - Elena, 'you-long-to-have-your-perfect-feathers-ruffled' Silas, and even Klaus himself had seen right through her, way before she had finally understood herself. Stefan had been the first to inflict a crack on the wall of self-righteousness she had erected around herself in her every interaction with Klaus, asking whether they were really so different from the Original. She had not given many things in her life as much thought, and still she had not been able to find a satisfying answer until the day she had... killed those twelve witches for Bonnie. And what had answered her question hadn't been the discovery that she was as perfectly capable of being evil as he was. No. It had been his reaction at seeing her about to start crying over the monstrousness of the atrocity she had just committed. '_Why don't you find someone less terrible you can relate to?'_ She had run off after that, appalled, upset, disappointed. How could Klaus, the one guy who was always so keen on wheedling his way into her good graces, be so cold, callous and petulant - towards _her_? And in the one moment, the only moment, she would have truly appreciated his being there for her? How _dare_ he? Caroline had spent a few hours fuming and rambling until she had finally simmered down and recovered some of her rationality. Which was the precise moment realisation had hit her square in the face - she would have done the exact same thing to him, had the situation been reversed. She would have rubbed his earlier words about terrible people right in his face, wearing just the identical smug smirk. The understanding that Stefan was right had left her completely dumbstruck. Yes, Klaus had done many terrible things, but did that make him an entirely terrible person? She had committed two horrible crimes that had resulted in the deaths of a total of thirteen people, and she still liked to think of herself as one of the good guys. In her world, Stefan was a good guy, but it was all too easy to just overlook the trail of blood he had left behind during his distant ripper days - and the more recent round two. Tyler was a good guy - plotting Klaus' death didn't count as an evil deed, did it? Damon was really not that good, and still her best friend who was a stickler for a clear distinction between wrong and right, had chosen to give him her heart. The string of examples was endless, and when the day had been over, part of her better-than-thou attitude towards Klaus had begun to dissolve. From then on, the thick layer of loathing and disdain had become more and more porous, culminating in a moment of sheer shock when he had kissed her cheek on graduation day and Caroline had caught herself silently screaming at him to stop being so bloody gentlemanly.

And this morning, waking up after yet another campus bash that had lasted all night, her first thought had been of Tyler, of how great a guy he had turned into ever since his dormant wolf side had been awakened, of how he always helped those in need and risked his life for his werewolf friends, and of how happy she was that they could now be together without Klaus' vengeance looming over their heads. Well, _theoretically_, they could be together. Yet, after revelling in the comfort of the cosy, familiar thoughts of her boyfriend for a while, Caroline had suddenly realised that something was amiss. Thinking of Tyler had not warmed her insides the way it used to. It felt safe to think of him, homey, but it was not as fulfilling a sensation as it had been ever since they had first got together. Something about this lack of warmth had made her panic, and she had jumped from her bed like a crazed raccoon, throwing on the first few pieces of clothing she could find, flashing out of the dorm and into the fresh, misty morning air that was lingering over Whitmore's vast campus like a cool, damp cloth, bathing grass, trees and hedges in a thin layer of dew. She had just stood in the centre of the deserted lawn, breathing slowly and deeply to calm down her topsy-turvy system. Oh God, she didn't want to lose her feelings for Tyler! She wanted to wake up in the morning and see his face, she wanted to fall asleep over thoughts of him, and she wanted her dreams to be of him, and him alone. It was what she knew, what she wanted - and what was _right! _They belonged with each other, didn't they? After everything they had mastered together, it was impossible that anything could break their bond, especially not something as mundane as slowly drifting apart. And in the midst of all her emotional upheaval, a sudden urge had invaded her mind. There was someone she badly _had _to see today, now, and it had scared the wits out of her to admit to herself that it was... not Tyler. What had frightened her even more was that thinking of Klaus had made her close her eyes and bask in the glow of how his words at graduation had made her feel. So warm, so cherished, so _safe._ The way she usually felt around Tyler. No, she corrected herself, she had to be fair to all of them, most of all to herself - what she had felt for Tyler was completely different from whatever this strange _thing_ with Klaus was.

_Wait a minute. _

What she _had _felt for Tyler? Past tense? No, no, this was but a Freudian slip! Her feelings for her boyfriend were as strong and as alive as ever, they had to be! Well, admittedly, she hadn't seen him in a while and with all the diversions and changes around Mystic Falls and college, she probably hadn't had the time to give him as much thought as she used to, but that did not mean her heart was less attached to him, did it? A malicious little voice inside her had whispered how her thoughts seemed to have no difficulty whatsoever to find the time to revolve around Klaus, whether she did or didn't see him and in blatant disregard of the fact that he was supposed to be nothing but a peculiar kind of friend. After all, wasn't Tyler the most thoughtful of boyfriends, risking his life for one dance at prom? _And wasn't Klaus an almost as thoughtful non-boyfriend, forsaking the revenge he had sworn to bring down on Tyler and letting him escape in order not to blemish my otherwise perfect prom night?_ Caroline had looked around campus, watching the slowly lifting mist and giving a small, mirthless smile at the memory of that night. To this day, neither of the men knew that she had heard. Oh, how her heart had very nearly stopped at the sound of Klaus' voice on the Lockwoods' porch! That night back in Mystic Falls, it had seemed like a given that Tyler would die a most painful death, with Klaus carrying him off to some remote place in the depth of the woods to bury him without any trace and no chance of anyone ever learning the truth about what had happened to him. And when she had just been about to burst out of the house to plead for Tyler's life, Caroline had almost fainted from the shock of hearing - and grasping the full meaning of - Klaus' words to his first hybrid. '_In the shared interest of giving Caroline the night of her dreams...'_ She had sat there for the rest of said night, way into the wee hours of the morning, repeating the events over and over in her head, unable to make any sense of them.

It had admittedly begun way before that moment that every hate-filled glare, every insult she had thrown at Klaus had lost more and more of its force. After her realisation that Klaus was really not so different from all of them, she had been continuously wondering whether she was actually keeping up the pretence of despising him for her own sake, attempting to convince herself that she didn't feel anything other than loathing for this psycho Original. After prom night, however, there was no more kidding herself. She _could_ not hate him, not really, she never would, and that had scared her more than anything else. This was the man who had attempted to kill almost all of them, who had ruthlessly ended Tyler's mom's life and brutally attacked her just to teach the younger hybrid a lesson, and yet, she was obviously unable to do what every sane person would do and spit in his face. What did that say about her, she had asked herself fearfully, was this the final proof that despite of what she wanted to make herself believe, she was no longer one of the good guys? Ever since then, Caroline had desperately sought but not yet found an answer to that question. But this morning, she had known one thing. She had to see him. She had to finally face him, face _herself_, to find out what was going on between them, and it couldn't wait any longer. All of this confusion just had to go. Which was why she had ended up hopping on a plane today.

And now here she was, driving away from him, more confused than ever. Her senses were running amok at his scent that was faintly lingering in the car, making her mouth water and beckoning her to turn around.

It was the kisses, she mused, her eyes straining but failing to penetrate the absolute darkness of the road ahead. These damned kisses. Never in a million years would she have suspected Klaus to kiss like that. Oh, it was not that she had doubted that he knew what he was doing - a man who after a thousand years on this planet hadn't learned how to properly kiss would be a pitiful thing to behold - but she had been completely unprepared for the way he _gave._ This merciless guy who was used to just taking what he wanted, who had the world at his beck and call and was centred around nothing but his own universe... he had not taken a thing from her. To Caroline, it had somehow felt as if he had opened a door to himself, inviting her in and handing her the key to use however and whenever she saw fit. A quick shiver ran down her spine as she thought about it again now. Knowing that the most powerful creature in the whole world allowed her to have this kind of hold over him was mind-blowing, making her feel incredibly flattered and just the teensiest bit... almighty. But it wasn't her strange power over Big Bad that truly touched something deep inside her. It was the knowledge that Klaus Mikaelson, the man, was letting his guard down and exposed what she knew he considered the greatest of weaknesses. _Love. S_he had finally felt the truth of it the very moment his lips had touched hers. God, had it been beautiful! And yes, dammit, she wanted more of that feeling. More of _him._

"Oh, fuck!" she suddenly screamed, waking from her daze only to violently jerk the wheel and hit the brakes at the sight of the lonely man standing in the middle of the road. The Mercedes swivelled from left to right and back again, fishtailing elegantly before sliding off the road and skidding hood first into the shallow roadside ditch. Caroline's head bumped hard against the backrest before the car finally came to a complete stop. Panting wildly, she lifted both hands to her face, touching her temples to calm herself. She may be an immortal vampire, but this kind of thing scared her senseless. Running a shaking hand across her forehead, she turned to look for the man. Nothing. The road was empty. _God, please, let me have missed him! And let this not be Ben Willis reincarnated. _Her eyes were still scanning her surroundings when she opened the door and climbed out of the car. There was no sign of the man, and Caroline began to idly wonder whether she had suffered some kind of hallucination. After a few seconds, though, she noticed something. Silence. No animal sounds, nothing. It was _too_ silent, and there was something about this quietude that she really didn't like. She was just about to lean back into the car and grab her phone when she felt a very light rush of wind. Followed by two hands grabbing her head.

And everything went black.

* * *

He had shown his hand. It was not the first time in his very long life that he had, but never before had it meant such a threat to everything he was and wanted. The second he had turned around to look at Marcel and seen the subdued glimmer of triumph on the other man's face, he had begun to plot. Snap his former protégé's neck, flash off at full Original speed and get to Caroline before anyone else could. Lock her up somewhere far from New Orleans with an army of vampires and witches to protect her until he had taken care of the situation. It had sounded like a plan, and he had just been about to put it into action when he had discovered that Marcel had not come alone. A very young, dark-haired girl had suddenly appeared at his side. Klaus, who had most definitely been in no mood for socialising, had given no more than a sideways glance to what was apparently a witch and was about to go for Marcel's neck when the girl had raised her hands and without a warning, cast a spell so powerful it all but slammed him into a nearby tree, leaving him unable to move as much as his little finger. The next thing he knew was that the headache exploded inside him, strong, all-consuming and devastating. He had not been capable of even lifting a hand to his head. Time had lost all meaning as he went through a red-hot hell of pain the likes of which were truly unprecedented, making him see images of fire, burning corpses, rotting flesh. He had found no escape from either the real or the imagined agony, until after what had seemed more than one lifetime, the pain became somewhat more bearable. It had allowed a small portion of his brain to regain coherency and to once again register part of what was happening around him. _Marcel pocketing his phone. Satisfied grin. The girl... not concentrating properly! _Summoning all of his powers, he had closed his eyes and willed himself to function. Oh, it had cost him! He reckoned that his agonised roar had been heard all the way to the Quarter, but he had somehow found the inhuman strength to force the magic out of his head. Both Marcel and the witch had been completely taken aback, too stunned by his sudden and entirely unexpected attack to put up any resistance at all. In one fluid movement, he had snapped Marcel's neck before swiftly placing two fingers on the girl's carotid artery, exerting just enough pressure to stop the blood flow, hence causing her to pass out. The whole operation had taken no more than ten seconds - and it had managed to catapult him into a state of almost biblical wrath. Whoever else happened to cross his path over the next minutes would never cross anything else again. To his great dismay, there had been no-one around to oblige him. Taking a moment to bring his explosive temper under some marginal control, he had left the two unconscious bodies behind and raced off to find Caroline, understanding but steadfastly ignoring that this would provide Marcel with the final proof that he put her before anything else - not on his undead life would his reasonable, _normal_ self have left his enemies to just wake up and go back to plotting, a fact the younger vampire was perfectly well aware of. Oh yes, he had shown his hand as blatantly as never before. However, he still nurtured the faint hope that Marcel might believe he had spared him for old times' sake. One way or another, he had been too late. A few miles out, he had found his car. Abandoned at the roadside ditch. Caroline's phone had still been there, as had her purse. No signs of a struggle. He supposed they had set up a road obstacle of some form, forcing her to stop so they could snatch her more easily. The pictures were so clear in his head, it felt like watching a replay of the events. And just like that, his rage level was back to Defcon 1. _Damn. _Once Caroline and Elijah were safe and sound, he would need to buy a new SLS. It had turned out that not even the height of German engineering could withstand a true and full-blown Niklaus Mikaelson temper tantrum.

Even now, hours later, he was still burning with fury, in a way he had not experienced overly often. Granted, he spent most of his time being angry at everything and everyone, but even for him, there were degrees of anger. Those had seemingly reached an entirely new level tonight. Had he just followed his instincts, he would have extirpated the entire Quarter within the hour of returning to New Orleans. But at some point, while making his way back through the darkened, humid swamps, his centuries of cunning and battling had kicked in, bringing him to reconsider his initial plan of waging a one-man war on Marcel's would-be kingdom. And bloody hell, his priorities had shifted. His first and foremost goal was to find Caroline and move her out of harm's way. Then, and only then, would he unleash the full force of his stifling rage on the younger man and his vampire army. Before tonight, he had been undecided about Marcel's fate. There had been a time when the boy had meant very much to him, and Klaus was not one to easily forgo a true bond once forged. Not that there had been that many a bond over the centuries. Furthermore, he could hardly blame Marcel for taking over the city after he and his family had left, and for establishing his own empire. Just as he could not think ill of him for defending his position. After all, it was no less than what he had been taught - and Klaus had taught him very well. What he could not tolerate, however, was anyone touching or threatening the woman he loved. Klaus was relatively certain that Caroline would not be truly harmed, as Marcel was not that much of a fool. He knew that no witch and no vampire army in the world could protect him from the Original's wrath if Caroline, the one woman Marcel now knew meant so much to Klaus, was injured or killed. Then again, the younger man was being enough of a fool to attempt and use her against his former mentor, and damn all fucking bonds to everlasting hell, he would pay the price for that outrageous display of hubris.

Klaus was leaning against the kitchen counter in his stately mansion, downing his umpteenth Scotch and waiting impatiently for his sister. He had called her half a dozen times and sent her even more texts, ordering her to drop whatever it was she was doing and return home at once. The complete lack of reaction did not truly surprise him, but today was the wrong day for Rebekah to play difficult. Which was exactly what he had written in his last message to her. He needed her help and she would oblige him, otherwise she would end up in a box next to their older brother. Whom he incidentally needed to get back as well. It had admittedly been a grave mistake to dagger Elijah and offer his desiccated body to Marcel as a token of trust, he had to give that to his sister. Klaus heaved an impatient sigh, but for once, his annoyance was directed at himself. There had been too many mistakes ever since he had first returned to Mystic Falls, and on a few occasions he had even been forced to rely on something he had never needed before - sheer dumb luck. Whatever it was that had made him lose his focus over and over again, it had to stop. He had to return to being the cold, rational man he had been for hundreds of years or otherwise, he would fail. And failure was as entirely unacceptable to him today as it had always been. This was a matter of survival, for his family, for Caroline, for him... and for his heart.

An instant later, he discerned the sound of an approaching car. Porsche Boxster. Someday, his younger sister needed to be educated in regards to her peculiar taste in vehicles, he thought wryly while fighting the impulse to flash out of the house and pull Rebekah from the car. At least it would seem that his last text had yielded the desired result. His siblings knew the precise point when his limits were reached and their moment had come to stop defying him.

"You took your time," he hissed between clenched teeth as soon as his sister stepped into the hallway, followed by Hayley.

"Should it have escaped your attention, Nik, that our brother is being held hostage? It will please you to hear that contrary to you, I have not been idle. I found out a couple of things. So pray spare me whatever it is you want from me if it has nothing to do with Elijah." Klaus frowned at the cool indifference he detected in Rebekah's voice. It was very unlike her to be this... cold towards him. He had known her outraged at him, inconsolable, angry, fearful, at times even warm and affectionate. But never indifferent. Shaking his head, he tried to ignore the faint hint of unease that gripped him at the thought of finally having damaged their relationship beyond repair. They would need to work this out, but now was not the time. _Let us hope that when the time comes, it will not be too late. _Inclining his head, he gestured towards the Scotch bottle.

"Drink?"

Under any other circumstances, he would have chuckled at the mixture of puzzlement and mistrust that spread on his sister's face. After a moment of consideration, she nodded warily and turned to Hayley. "Nik seems determined to be civilised tonight. Shall we take our chances and sit down?" Gritting his teeth again, he fought the rising ire down and gave the werewolf a fleeting glance.

"Hayley?"

"Just water," the girl replied with a nod.

Once they were seated in the living room, Klaus took a large sip of his drink and drew a deep breath. He hated having to ask anyone for help, but there was no alternative this time. He could not do this alone, and he was reasonable enough to recognise that he was _not _reasonable enough to be at the top of his game. A second pair of eyes and brains was what he needed now, and a third one once they had Elijah.

_Caroline. My lovely girl. I will get you back, no matter the cost. And you will be mine, on this I swear. I will never let you out of my sight and my arms again._ Looking up, he saw both Rebekah and Hayley stare at him in bewilderment. With a frown, his sister cocked her head to one side.

"What's going on, Nik? You look... strange. Not that it is any of my concern, but I admit to be curious. So?"

Klaus gritted his teeth once more before he spoke. "Rebekah, we have not been in the best of places for a while. It is not the moment to elaborate on our motivations for doing what we did. However, I must ask you to set aside what ill feelings you harbour for me. You can go back to hating me once this situation is under control, but for now, I... I need your help, sister."

Raising a brow at seeing her choke on her drink, he crossed his legs and leaned back against the couch, remaining silent and looking at his sister intently, bracing for her response. "Would you mind repeating that, big brother? I believe my Original hearing must be impaired!"

"I will do no such thing. You heard me perfectly, Rebekah, and I am truly not in the mood for any banter right now. So you will either listen and help me, or I will offer you the choice between the dagger and a repeatedly broken neck," he snapped, making no effort to hide his irritation.

"Have you ever wondered, Nik, whether a certain amount of kindness might also get you what you want?"

"As a matter of fact, I have. Coming to the conclusion that it is a monumental waste of time. Now, can we cut through the pleasantries and proceed with the business at hand? Thank you. You will be delighted to hear that this _is _about Elijah, although as of tonight, no longer exclusively about him. Caroline has been taken by Marcel's troops in order to provide him with an additional bargaining chip for whatever he plans to extort from me. I have no inkling as to where either Caroline or Elijah are being held. We will therefore need to find out where they are and how they are protected. Once we know, we will breach whatever precautions Marcel has taken and bring them back, after which event our old friend is going to pay his dues for defying us in the first place. Questions?"

With incredulity written all over their faces, Rebekah and Hayley stared at him as he grabbed his tumbler and brought it to his lips. His sister was first to find her language. "Caroline? Wait, how does Marcel even know of her existence... not to mention the entirely incomprehensible fact that she means enough to you to go to war over her? And what was she doing here in the first place?"

"Many questions, Rebekah," Klaus murmured, briefly closing his eyes to reign in his impatience. He wanted to get started and not spend the rest of the night in endless discussions. "Caroline came to see me. There is some... unfinished business between us." Ignoring his sister's snort, he went on. "She showed up at Rousseau's, and I can only assume that one of Marcel's minions saw me looking at her and drew his conclusions, which he did not wait to share with his master. I sent Caroline away immediately, asking her to meet me outside of the city later on, which she did. Marcel followed me, it would seem, and subsequently witnessed our conversation."

"If said conversation went down the way interactions between you and Caroline usually do, Marcel would have had no reason to believe she means more to you than your usual distractions." She cast a sideways glance at Hayley who just gave a shrug. "Must I therefore deduct that you finally found a way to get into her knickers?"

"Even if I had, I would certainly not discuss it with either of you," he snarled. The memory of those sweet, wild kisses flooded him like a spring tide. "Suffice it to say that Marcel has been left in little doubt about my feelings for her." He quickly recounted the events that had unfolded after Caroline had left and ran a nervous hand through his hair when he was finished. "Rebekah, I truly need your help. I cannot do this entirely on my own." Leaning forward, he set his glass on the sturdy mahogany couch table and looked his sister in the eyes. "Please."

No sounds other than the ticking of the pendulum clock in the corner of the vast room could be heard as Rebekah stared at her brother in utter amazement. Neither of them could remember the last time he had said that word to her - and meant it. It took her long to recover, and when she did, her face had softened considerably.

"This is real, isn't it Nik?" she whispered, unable to suppress the wonder in her voice. "You... and her? There was something about the way you acted around Caroline from the very beginning, but I have always attributed it to the thrill of the hunt, to how she kept turning you down. I was mistaken, was I not?"

He hesitated. Being honest about his feelings was still so new that it took all of his courage. "Yes," he finally conceded, "you were. I was admittedly intrigued by how she kept refusing to give in to my attempts at seducing her, by the way she stood up to me time and again, and I have to confess I was sidetracked by that entertaining push-and-pull, which was why it took me so long to understand that the essence of my fascination with her has nothing to do with any games."

"What is it about, then?"

Klaus did not take his eyes off his sister's. She knew what this was. She might not have seen it in him before, but hundreds, thousands of times in others. In herself. And yet she was forcing him to say it. They stared at each other silently, not moving, not breathing, while Klaus' mind was reeling. Could he speak the word? He had already said it once, to Caroline, but this was something else. It was an almost physical effort to bring himself to speak, and he had the distinct feeling that he was about to lose the battle with himself when he suddenly understood. This was the price Rebekah was asking for her help. _Payday, Niklaus._ Balling his hands into fists, he gave a curt nod, acknowledging his sister's demand.

"Love," he whispered, "it is about love, Rebekah."

She exhaled sharply, her eyes widening in a disbelief so acute it almost made him smile. _Stop the presses, call CNN, announce it to the United Nations. Niklaus Mikaelson has used the L word. _He briefly lifted the corner of his mouth, before he suddenly remembered something. Turning towards Hayley, he raised his hands and inclined his head.

"Sorry."

With another shrug, the brunette smiled tightly. "Who cares? I'm into Tyler anyway, as you well know, so you can just relax. Although I have to admit that your brother's quite the hottie, too."

"Hands off Elijah," Klaus and Rebekah said in unison. After an instant of astonished silence, they both broke into quiet chuckles, and Klaus let his insides accept the warmth that followed their companionable moment. _Maybe there is a chance. Maybe we are not beyond repair after all. But it will have to wait. _He inclined his head, questioning eyes on his sister.

"So?"

There was a deep sigh before Rebekah took up her glass and raised it to him.

"I will help you, Nik."

* * *

The witches of New Orleans might not have been allowed to practice their magic, but that did not imply they spent their lives in supernatural idleness. Sophie Devereaux had built an impressive network of spies all over town, consisting not only of witches but also a number of humans she was certain Marcel would never suspect to be anything other than exactly what they appeared to be - unsuspecting passersby. Klaus had lost no time in explaining the situation to her, leaving out the details of his attachment to Caroline and spontaneously making up a tale of how the girl knew a few compromising details about his past that Marcel believed might be of use to him. Rebekah nodded emphatically, pointing out how she and the blonde from Mystic Falls had grown close during the Mikaelsons' stay in the little town and how after a session of binge drinking, she had accidentally divulged intimate knowledge about her brother to Caroline. And every weapon in Marcel's hands was one too many, so they needed to tear the girl from his claws. The witch had bought their story - who wouldn't believe two Originals who had spent the better part of a millennium being professional liars - and instructed her considerable intelligence task force with unearthing the whereabouts of the two missing vampires. Klaus' report about the young, dark-haired witch and her immense powers was a cause of much greater anxiety for Sophie who hastily took her leave to immerse herself in investigations about the mysterious witch whose existence Marcel had very obviously kept a closely guarded secret until this day.

Klaus sent his sister and Hayley over to Tulane campus to have a coffee with Cami and find out whether she knew anything at all, which he doubted, but it was worth a try and would keep the women out of harm's way for a while. The minute they left, he flashed over to Dumaine Street. He had made it his business to find out where each and every member of Marcel's close-knit group of daywalkers lived, and he had decided to go for the would-be king's dearest friend, the wild-haired youth named Diego. Smiling viciously at how convenient it was for someone with hybrid venom to not have any need of taking hostages, he unceremoniously tore down the iron door to Diego's apartment. It had been unlocked, but he was certain the young vampire appreciated a more dramatic entrance. Without a word, he slammed the nonplussed boy against a large cupboard and sank his fangs into his neck, ignoring the fearful shrieks of the female vampire who had come rushing out of the kitchen at the sudden noise. He kept a watchful eye on her while he did as much damage to Diego's neck as possible. When he was done, he lifted the whimpering daywalker from the ground and sent him flying across the room, smashing him into the opposite wall. With a relaxed smile, he took a napkin from a nearby table and delicately dabbed at the few remaining drops of blood that were trickling down his chin.

"Tell your master that this is my answer. He has forty-eight hours before you die. Oh, bugger, I entirely forgot - you remember how it goes, do you not?" he added with a malicious sneer. "Have a lovely day." Turning on his heel, he left the building at human speed.

Very deliberately, he made his way across the Quarter, walking slowly and stopping every now and then to admire the displays in shop windows, getting a coffee and a beignet, all accompanied by a knowing and even condescending smile. His every step was being watched, and Klaus was acutely aware of each of Marcel's spies. They were trying to be inconspicuous and failing miserably. Well, the enemy's poor training would play into his hands very nicely someday. Donning his shades, he gave a brilliant performance of being completely relaxed and on top of the world, which was exactly what he wanted the bloodhounds to report back to Marcel. Behind the sunglasses, however, his eyes were restlessly scanning his surroundings, and all of his senses were at the height of their vigilance. Relying on nothing but a coven of witches to discover the whereabouts of the two people most dear to his heart was entirely unacceptable. And yet, however much he concentrated on finding any traces of Caroline and Elijah, he came up empty.

Two hours later, he had just returned to the house when his mobile buzzed. A satisfied smirk spread on his face at the sight of the message.

**We need to speak, my friend. Your place in twenty minutes.**

* * *

"Well, mate, what would you like to discuss, then?" Klaus asked pleasantly when they had taken their seats in the living room, drinks in hand. _No need to be uncivilised, not even with your enemies. _Especially _not with your enemies._

Marcel turned the glass in his hands, apparently undecided on whether to drink or to just smash the tumbler into the fireplace. Deciding on the former, he flashed his usual cocky smile. "I'm facing a bit of a dilemma, and as my mentor, I hoped you could point me in the right direction. As in, what would Niklaus Mikaelson do if he was in my shoes."

The grin Klaus was now displaying was a genuine one. This was the kind of negotiation he liked, and bloody hell, the boy had learned. A surge of something that almost resembled fatherly pride rose inside him, making him suppress it immediately. This was too important to be sidetracked by nostalgia and sentiment. By holding on to something that was long gone. He gave another smile and raised a brow.

"I am always here to help, mate. So let us work out how your dilemma can be solved, then."

"You see, I seem to be at a bit of an impasse in a situation I am currently facing. I happen to be in possession of something, two things to be exact, that belong to someone else. That someone responded by endangering the life of a very dear friend. That move, although not entirely unexpected, puts me in the difficult position of having to give up one of the assets I am holding in pledge. The dilemma is, which one? It is hard to decide which of the pawns might prove to be of greater value to me going forward. And now here is the question: What would Niklaus Mikaelson do?"

_Rip off your head and use your skull as an ashtray, you miserable traitor. All right, deep breath, Niklaus. _

Setting his glass on the table and feigning pensiveness, he gazed out of the large, double terrace doors. He had known that he would have to make this decision, and he had made it. Caroline or Elijah. And while all his instincts, his heart and his soul were screaming at him that there was only one answer, he had to think like the strategist he used to be, not like the lovestruck idiot he had become as of late. His first impulse had been to demand Caroline be returned to him immediately, and to leave Elijah in Marcel's hands. His brother could not be killed after all and was therefore safe. Yet, there were other factors to be taken into account. First of all, Caroline _could _be killed, which would lead Marcel to believe that he had a far more effective leverage at his hand than he would have in the shape of a man everyone knew was immortal. Secondly, leaving Caroline in Marcel's power might make him question the extent of Klaus' feelings towards the girl after all. If he understood what Klaus was truly prepared to do for her - namely _everything_ - it would fatally weaken the Original's position. And lastly, if he got Caroline back first, he would still need to go for Elijah before taking down Marcel and his army, which would leave her exposed, even if it was for the very briefest of whiles. He would never, _never_ allow her to be without his protection again. Furthermore, he needed all the help he could get to put an end to all of this, and he had a feeling that it would take his brother a moment to forgive him - so the sooner Elijah could begin to get over his outrage, the quicker they could show a united front again and take the kingdom that was rightfully theirs.

Returning his gaze to Marcel, he pursed his lips. "A very good question, and not easily answered, as you are well aware. So what would I do if I were in your shoes? Apart from just killing them both, of course?" The younger man's eyes widened for an instant, making Klaus give a nonchalant shrug. "Not an option, as I can see. Pity. All right, then. You will of course want to retain the one pawn that is of greater importance to your opponent, and as you do not know which of the two that is, you decided to just go ahead and ask. Good move. So here is your problem, Marcel. Will you be able to grasp my play? Will I tell you the truth? Or will I use classical reverse psychology tactics, asking you to return the one that is less important to me in order for you to give me the one I care about the most instead? _Is_ one of them dearer to me than the other? Do I care, _really _care, about either of them at all?" His expression neutral and even, he watched Marcel closely. However much the boy had tried, he had never developed the indispensable ability to truly close his face. Some emotion was always readable, and what Klaus could read now was confusion. Had his former protégé honestly believed that he could wag the dog for any length of time?

After a few moments of loaded silence, Klaus sighed. "Let me simplify the situation for you. We are negotiating the return of either Caroline," he let a very subtle but unmistakable note of longing slip into his otherwise businesslike tone at the mention of her name, "or Elijah in exchange for my blood. Quid pro quo. I am in the weaker position here, with you holding two tokens against one of mine. Whichever of them I ask for, I have to leave one behind. So why don't you decide which one to give me, mate?" He knew that this was a risk, but he knew Marcel, too, and he recalled what he had once taught the boy. '_Listen to undertones. Pay attention to minor changes in your opponent's voice and his flow of words.'_ And Marcel had clearly heard the little peak in his tone at the mention of Caroline's name. If everything went as predicted, he would deduct that Caroline was who Klaus wanted back most urgently - and give him Elijah instead. What made his performance all the more convincing was the fact that it was no performance at all. He wanted her back, desperately, he yearned to hold her again and to make certain that she was unharmed and far from any dangers.

"Can I ask you something?" Marcel enquired hesitantly. When Klaus gave a curt nod, he said, "You could have bitten two of my friends and demand both the girl and your brother be returned to you. Why didn't you?"

_Because by stealing back what is mine instead of negotiating, I will weaken your standing amongst your followers. Once they see that I breached your defences, magical or other, without any major effort, they will slowly begin to doubt you. They will defect one by one to join my ranks._

"Do not give me ideas, lad. It is quite simple, really. I am fully aware that your intent is to use E..., whoever it is you choose not to return to me, to negotiate something else, and I am utterly curious to find out what it is. That is why I am allowing you to keep one of them. For now." For a split second, he hoped he had not overdone it by beginning to say Elijah's name, conveying to the younger man that Klaus was taking it for granted that Marcel would keep his sibling and return Caroline. But something told him there was no need to worry. He was still the better actor after all.

The younger man gazed at him for a long time before he assented very slowly. "I will be sending one of your tokens back tonight, at sundown. You'd do well to remember that I still have the other one, and however many of my friends you intend to bite, I have no intention of returning it. I expect you to provide your blood the minute you take delivery of my part of the bargain."

"Let me return the courtesy. Whoever you decide to keep - if you or any of your minions lay so much as a finger on either Caroline or my brother, there will be nothing and no-one powerful enough to save you, mate."

They stood, staring at one another for what felt like an eternity. Klaus knew that in this one fleeting moment, they were both wallowing in the pain of having irrevocably lost each other.

* * *

"Welcome home, brother."

Klaus, Rebekah and Hayley were gathered around the open coffin, watching Elijah gradually return to his normal colour after Klaus had undaggered him. Marcel had kept his side of the bargain, and Klaus had felt a flash of deep satisfaction at seeing that his tactics had worked out perfectly. Followed by an overwhelming anxiety attack over Caroline. _Come on, it was your own decision! Now live with it, wake your brother and start working on getting her back! _

He had not quite finished the thought when he felt himself being brutally smashed to the floor, Elijah's hands around his throat, followed by an iron punch that resulted in the ugly sound of his nose breaking. In a heartbeat, he had thrown his older brother off and was back on his feet, snarling at seeing his sibling come at him again.

"I get your point, Elijah! If it makes you feel better, I hated doing this to you, but I did what I thought was right. Turns out that it was not. Be mad at me all you like, but do it later. We have work."

The older Mikaelson was just about to launch himself at his brother anew when Rebekah spoke up. "I hate to say it, Elijah, but for once, Nik is right. I will gladly help you beat him to a pulp when everything is over, but now is not the time. Let him explain, please."

Straightening out of his crouch, Elijah turned to look at his sister with narrowed eyes. "Why do I have the feeling that this is a déjà vu with reversed roles, Rebekah?" he asked, smoothing his hair and brushing over his lapels. "Incidentally, how long have I been out?"

"A couple of days," Klaus answered. "Can we sit down? We have a few things to discuss, brother." For a moment, he was convinced that Elijah would turn him down and storm out of the house to not return for the next five decades. But then his brother had always been the greater man, had he not? And was it not his heart's desire to return this broken, dysfunctional family to _being _an actual family? The older Original gave a slow, tense nod now, sauntering over to the liquor cabinet and pouring himself a drink. When he approached their small group again, his eyes were on Hayley, and Klaus could see him scrutinising her closely for possible injuries or any other harm that had come to her during his absence. Suppressing a sigh, Klaus sat. He would need to keep a very close eye on this. He wanted to get rid of Hayley as soon as the child was born, but he could clearly see that it was not going to be all that easy.

After they had recounted the recent events to Elijah, his older brother turned to look at him with a stare so piercing it actually made him squirm. "Is this true, Niklaus? Do you love the girl?"

"Yes." _Oh. It would seem that it is getting easier to admit to it._

"This is an unexpected yet nonetheless pleasant development, brother. I admit to be _very _surprised, and in light of Marcel's knowledge of your feelings, I agree that we will need to recover Miss Forbes as quickly as possible. What you said about that little witch makes me nervous, and we should act on this new threat the second Caroline is back with us. However, once everything has been taken care of, Niklaus, I will beat the living daylights out of you, you may rest assured." There was no force behind his words, though, and when he saw Rebekah roll her eyes at Elijah in exasperation, Klaus knew that miraculously, he was once more forgiven. He also understood that it was not his own doing. Behind his serene façade, his older brother was shaken to the core by the news that Klaus was in love, and Elijah saw this as his golden opportunity to truly bring the family back together. Ever the idealist. He was just about to say something when the doorbell rang.

"We found the girl," Sophie Devereaux announced breathlessly the second she stepped into the room, another witch in tow. "But I'm not sure whether you will like the news. Marcel is keeping her at The Garden." They all looked at each other in confusion, then turned their quizzical eyes on Sophie. "The Garden," she began to explain, "is sort of Marcel's prison camp for those vampires who have committed a crime in His Majesty's almighty eyes. It's basically a maze of little overgrown canyons. There's nothing to do, nothing to see, and it has been spelled to keep those imprisoned from communicating with each other or anyone from the outside. Solitary confinement, you could say. Prisoners are also being starved. They don't die, but after a while... well, I don't have to tell any of you what happens when a vampire doesn't feed."

_Caroline. By the Gods, I swear to you I will get you out of there in no time. I can't even think of you in a place like that. _For an instant, he wondered whether his decision on recuperating Elijah ahead of Caroline would have been a different one, had he known about this. _Yes. It would have been. Fuck. _Straightening, he glared at Sophie.

"Where is this ominous Garden, and how do we get her out?"

"This is where it gets tricky. The Garden borders the swamps south of Lake Borgne. A perimeter runs around it, heavily spelled so that no one can get in or out. The second you set one foot across the line in either direction, Marcel will know. Two dozen of his people are guarding the area, and they have strict order to kill anyone who wants to get either in or out. There is a second spell in place that keeps prisoners from escaping, an invisible wall. It is relatively easy to overcome, for the simple reason that no-one would ever dare to use magic or defy Marcel in the first place. Not to mention that once starved, the inmates have no energy left for rebellion."

With a disdainful snort, Klaus shrugged. "Two dozen? I can take those down by myself. Once Marcel arrives with reinforcement troops, we will be long gone. It is not that I am planning on keeping Caroline's rescue a secret, anyway. I want the _king_ and each of his underlings to know that there is nothing, _nothing _that stops me from taking what is mine. Now, as for the required magic - I agree that it would be counterproductive to reveal our alliance at this stage, Miss Devereaux, therefore we will need to find an outside witch to perform the spell, a stranger. Any suggestions?"

"I don't think anyone will volunteer, not after what happened to... my sister," the witch countered, a slight tremor in her voice. "The world of witchcraft is small, and word travels fast."

"The witch in question will be under my protection and the protection of my siblings until she has safely returned to her home. No-one is going to touch her. I will be in her debt and she can ask any favour within reason in exchange for her services. Call your most trustworthy witch acquaintance from out of town and tell her to meet us at the Breton Sound Marina tomorrow night. Seven p.m. sharp. Should you come up empty or should I smell any foul play, you will be the one to answer to me, Miss Devereaux, and I do not give a damn about your being linked to Hayley. Have I made myself abundantly clear?" His tone allowed for no answer other than a tense nod. Sophie bit her lip and gazed at the small congregation.

"Yes, you have. The witch will be there. See to it that you get the girl out. If you fail, Marcel will have his little friend spell The Garden in such a way that none of us will be able to find, let alone fix, the loophole ever again."

* * *

The Breton Sound Marina was a nondescript little fishing dock, filled with tourists even now, shortly before the fall of dusk. People were returning from fishing and hunting trips, and no-one took any notice of either Klaus or Elijah who remained in the background, their eyes and ears focused on detecting any sign of supernatural presence. After loud protest and considerable moping, Rebekah had agreed to stay behind for Hayley's protection, but Klaus suspected he had not heard the last of this. He suppressed an exasperated sigh at the remembrance of the tedious discussion.

From the marina, it would take them another twenty minutes to reach The Garden as soon as the witch arrived. Sophie Devereaux had called them earlier to confirm that an old friend of hers from Biloxi was on her way to meet them, ready to help - and with a favour to ask. Klaus did not care what kind of favour it was. If the witch did her job he would grant it, no questions asked, no debts left to pay.

A large group of men walked past them, immersed in mindless chatter about the sizes and weights of their catch, when Klaus' head jerked up at the very same moment Elijah's did. Someone was here, but he sensed no magic. Instead, he felt something very familiar. And one second later, he knew what it was. It was hybrid presence.

_Tyler fucking Lockwood._

It took Elijah but one second to grasp the situation and put a hand on Klaus' shoulder. To an onlooker, it would have seemed like a perfectly amiable gesture, but there was no mistaking the intention behind the older Original's steel grip. "Easy, brother," he hissed in a voice so quiet not even Tyler, who was approaching them warily, would hear. "Focus on your priority. This is about Caroline, Niklaus, not about revenge. Calm _down._"

_Elijah is right. All the Gods damn this bloody mutt to hell... if I touch him, I will forfeit every chance with her. Take that risk, now that she has finally agreed to consider you, Niklaus Mikaelson? Could there be greater foolishness, and for nothing but the admittedly tempting prospect of seeing the life leave the dog's eyes? _

Battling his burning hatred down, he folded his arms over his chest. No, he would not harm the boy, but he would also not play nice. There was only so much Caroline could ask of him. Glaring at Tyler with all the loathing he was barely keeping in check, he snarled, "Care to explain what you think you are doing here?" He could see the boy was scared, just as he had been the last time they had met, on the Lockwoods' porch in Mystic Falls. Caroline's prom. The night she had positively looked like an angel, and this traitorous vermin had been the one to get to share a dance with her. And a kiss.

"Hayley... sent me a message. She said Caroline's been taken, and that you were going on a rescue mission. I want to help." _Hayley. Now look at that sly little thing. Gods, between her genes and mine, that child is going to be too cunning for its own good. _

"Why the sudden interest, mate? You haven't seen her in months, and it is not that you have ever been particularly worried about her being harmed, have you? Let me give you some advice, boy. Return to your werewolf puppy school and let the adults handle the serious business. Now, be a good doggy and run along."

There was a spark of defiance in Tyler's eyes, yet Klaus could not help but think that it was more out of habit than a genuine desire to stand up to him for Caroline's sake. "Much as you would like her to be yours. she is still my girlfriend," the boy said now, "and if you care to remember, one of the reasons I haven't seen her in ages is you, Klaus."

"I beg to differ. Caroline's graduation was months ago, and ever since then, you have been free to return to her. You chose not to, and this time, it was not because you were trying to make me believe that you had hooked up with another woman. This time, you actually _have, _is that not right?" He had the fleeting satisfaction of seeing Tyler grow pale and went on. "So do not give me any rubbish about your sudden white knight routine. Why are you really here?"

Tyler was silent for a long while. Klaus could still feel his brother's hand on his shoulder, but he no longer needed any restraints. He was entirely in command of himself, and he felt that whatever it was the mutt had come for, it would speed up Caroline's decision, and not necessarily with a bad outcome for Klaus himself. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Elijah looking at Tyler curiously, also waiting for an explanation. Finally, the boy took a shaky breath and nodded.

"This is a peace offer. Or if not peace, than a truce. I will help you free Caroline, and you will give me your word that we're even. I'm tired of looking over my shoulder wherever I go, Klaus. I know you promised Caroline that you will not harm me, but you did that for her sake. The day you lose interest in her, that promise is going to be good for nothing, and I don't want to wait for that. I want my own deal."

Klaus and Elijah exchanged a look. No words were needed for either of them to know what the other was thinking. For a moment, Klaus felt a rush of pain on Caroline's behalf - not that he wasn't thrilled to know that her relationship with that boy was doomed, but to think that Tyler's main driver for coming to her rescue was not _her_ made his heart clench uncomfortably at the anticipation of the moment she learned the truth. She deserved better than this. So much better. Pursing his lips, he stroked his chin when he returned his gaze to Tyler.

"Listen very closely, mate. First of all, I am a man of my word. Once given, I keep my promises. Which is why I am rather selective about the commitments I give, and who I give them to. Therefore, however much I may have spared you merely for Caroline's sake, and however much I may be disgusted at your notcoming here for _her_ but entirely for yourself, I have given her my word and I intend to live up to it. Secondly, you should very quickly learn to understand one fundamental truth about life - judging others by your own standards invariably leads to mistakes. The fact that your feelings have a tendency towards the fickle does not automatically imply that mine do, too." He abruptly fell silent as he suddenly understood another simple truth, a truth he had buried beneath a blinding hatred he had nurtured purely for the sake of hating. But he saw it with uncanny clarity now - it was over. Tyler Lockwood and Klaus' vendetta against him were history. Whatever became of the boy or where his path led him, it was no longer Klaus' concern in any respect other than Caroline's impending choice between them. And a little, smug voice inside him whispered very persistently that deep down, unbeknownst to everyone including herself, the beautiful, lovely Miss Forbes and her heart had already chosen, or she would never have come to him in the first place. He would give her all the time in the world to realise her unconscious choice, without rushing her or pushing her in any direction. It had not been before facing this miserable excuse for a hybrid right here, right now, that he knew he had won. The secret, hidden doubts that had still plagued him, about whether Tyler Lockwood might be the better man for Caroline, had just evaporated. Carefully concealing his relief, he folded his arms across his chest.

"Well, be that as it may, now is not the time for philosophical lectures on human nature. You want to help? Fine. I can use an additional set of hybrid teeth. If tonight results in Caroline being freed unharmed and well, you have my word that unless you initiate or take part in another plot to end me - or any of my siblings, for that matter - we are even and I will consider your debt paid in full."

He noticed Elijah raising a brow, but his brother remained silent. Tyler gaped at him incredulously, obviously unable to process what he had just heard. Shaking his head in astonishment, the younger man murmured, "Just like that? You're not asking me to... stay away from Caroline or anything of the sort?"

"You were not listening, mate," Klaus scoffed. "Do not judge others by your standards. I will never force Caroline into a decision, I want her to make that choice freely and without any pressure. But when she comes to me, Tyler, and I do not have a single doubt that one day, she will, she is mine for good. Should your changeable heart decide at some later stage that you made a mistake in letting her go and you consider acting upon it, our agreement will be null and void. I will hunt you to the ends of the earth should you ever touch what is mine."

"Niklaus, Tyler, you might want to postpone this discussion," Elijah interrupted quietly, "for I believe we have company." He jerked his head towards the crowded parking lot to their right. An elderly woman, probably somewhere in her early sixties, was approaching them. She had ice-grey hair and was dressed entirely in black. Klaus thought dryly that some of them really _did _look like Grimm fairy tale witches, and this was a textbook specimen. Upon reaching them, she halted and gave them a very brisk nod.

"Klaus Mikaelson. Elijah Mikaelson. My name is Martine Lagrange."

With narrowed eyes, Klaus examined her for a moment before he nodded in return, just as curtly. "We appreciate your coming. Now, you do strike me as a very straightforward woman, Martine, so we should take care of business before leaving for The Garden. Name your price."

The witch inclined her head. "You don't waste any time. I like that." She looked at Klaus, then at Elijah and very briefly at Tyler. "Who is this?" she demanded.

"An ally," Elijah said before either Klaus or Tyler could utter a word, preventing any disagreement over what the young hybrid was actually doing here.

Shrugging, Martine returned her attention to the two Originals. It was very clear she had just decided that Tyler did not count. "There is a threat I am facing. We have a relatively large vampire community in Biloxi. Not as big as the one in New Orleans, but still considerable in size. About half a dozen of them have gone rogue, attempting to subdue the witches and werewolves. They consider Marcel some sort of pop star, their great idol, and they are trying to build our town into another version of New Orleans. I want them either killed, or if not, then at least compelled never to threaten anyone again, and to abandon their scheme to rule the city."

"Consider it done. Once you have performed the spell to our satisfaction, Elijah will escort you back to Biloxi and carry out our end of the bargain."

"Then we are agreed. Sophie filled me in on the required spell, which is rather easily accomplished. How are you planning on taking down the vampires guarding The Garden? There are only three of you, right?"

Klaus smiled. "Just leave that part to us. We will have to be very quick, though, as the spell surrounding the place will alert Marcel of any intruders. He will call his men just to find there will be no response. From killing the first guards to Marcel's arrival with support troops, we have a maximum of fifteen minutes. You will have even less time, witch, as you can only begin to cast your spell once the air is clear. Will you be able to do that?"

Rolling her eyes, the woman snorted. "Yes, of course. How will you find the girl in there? She will not be able to either see or hear you before the barrier is down," she enquired, adjusting the shoulder strap of the bag she was carrying which, Klaus assumed, contained the props required for her magic. He swallowed before he answered, his voice strained. He was aware of Tyler's stare, but he did not care as he spoke.

"I will know once I am near her. As she will feel my presence, magic or no magic."

* * *

So far, they had counted thirty men, covering two steady perimeters in some distance around The Garden. Hidden behind a line of massive rocks about half a mile out, they were meticulously scanning the area, studying the guards' walking patterns and the way they very ostentatiously communicated via old-fashioned walkie-talkies. After brief deliberation, Klaus and Elijah decided to ambush the men on the inner perimeter first, as they seemed to have to report less frequently than those on the outer circle. Perfectly logical under normal circumstances - any intruder would initially be taken on by the first ring of men, which was why they were larger in numbers and more alert. In the unlikely event of someone slipping though their defences, the second circle would step in. Less men, less vigilant, as they would assume to have time enough to prepare for any attack once they saw their front-line colleagues fighting. No-one would ever have taken into account that an Original was so fast that not even a vampire's eye could discern him, so they would bypass the outer ring and keep the element of surprise for as long as possible. Klaus and Elijah therefore agreed on taking down the inner ring first, ten men one by one, before signalling Tyler to join them in their attack on the remaining twenty vampires. Once the fight was over, Martine would begin to work her magic while Klaus rounded The Garden in search for a sign of Caroline. She had been able to sense him before she had known he was there on a couple of occasions by now, and if anything, they were even more attuned to each other after the searing, intimate kisses they had shared. It would work. Klaus was prepared to singlehandedly fight the entirety of Marcel's army for her, but he hoped to have her out and in safety before they arrived. _This would not even be necessary had you asked for her to be returned to you, you imbecile. Conceded, you also needed Elijah back and it is easier to get Caroline out of here than it would have been to steal Elijah from out of under Marcel's nose, but still. Every minute she had to spend in here because of your bloody ego, you will make up to her a thousandfold, is that clear?_

Stifling his nagging remorse, he scanned the area one last time before turning to the others. "Tyler, you will stay here with Martine for the moment. Do not let anyone see or hear you. Once I give you a sign, you will join us on the battlefield. Kill as many as you can, and try to leave bite marks on them as you go. Witch, the minute I deem it safe for you to begin, one of us will come and get you. Elijah?" The brothers looked at each other and nodded. No explanations were necessary between them, not in battle. They would come in from opposite sides, taking out the guards of the inner ring until it was time for the real fun. And they would both have a watchful eye on Tyler Lockwood. Klaus did not sense foul play, but he had made the mistake of trusting the mutt once only to be viciously betrayed, and such a thing would never happen again. With a last look at the others and a silent gesture towards Elijah, Klaus flashed off to the northern end of The Garden. His brother would cover the south, and they would work their way around the prison clockwise.

Darkness had finally descended on the swamps, and there were no sounds other than the occasional cricket and the faint atmospheric noise of the walkie-talkies. Klaus shook his head as he took his position. What an idiotic idea to use these things that produced such unnecessary distraction, he mused just before he unceremoniously raced towards the first vampire. He was moving with the speed of a bullet and in absolute silence, taking advantage of a large gap between two guards of the outer circle and reaching his target in less than three seconds. The vampire's eyes did not even have a chance to widen in surprise before his heart dropped onto the muddy ground. As silently as he had come, Klaus was gone again, concealing himself behind a dense wall of reed and moving a hundred yards south. _Wait for the next gap. Now. _He charged in, tore out another heart, and returned to his hiding place, moving further south. He repeated the process another three times until he had reached the spot where Elijah had started his own attack. Closing his eyes, he concentrated... and there it was. The very faint cry of an owl. The sign that his brother was done as well. Losing no time, he stormed out of his cover and very conspicuously launched himself at the first two guards, taking them down without effort before briefly sinking his fangs into the men's necks. Marcel would be in no doubt as to the originator of this assault, but for sheer showmanship, he had decided to leave his business card.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tyler attacking another member of the guard and soon, they were immersed in a full-blown skirmish as the rest of the vampires, alerted by the battle noises, joined their comrades. Klaus had expected this to be easy, but it surprised him to see how just dismal Marcel's troops' fighting skills truly were. It offered interesting insight - they relied on sheer numbers, and their master very obviously saw no necessity to develop their capabilities beyond the use of brute force. Well, it would seem that he had not taught the boy as well as he had always believed.

A few minutes later, it was over. Klaus left the last three guards to Elijah and Tyler and went to fetch Martine. The witch seemed completely unperturbed by the fighting scene she had just witnessed and set to work without a comment. Elijah set off to run a quick perimeter, returning a minute later to inform them there was no one left alive. With a nod, Klaus gestured towards Martine and Tyler.

"Keep an eye on them, will you, brother?" he muttered before he looked at the witch. "I will step over the threshold now, as I will need to be as close to The Garden as possible to sense her. I would reckon we have about ten minutes before the first reinforcement arrives. Get it done, witch, and fast." Whirling around, he approached the strange array of mini-canyons. The eyes could not penetrate the thick layer of green that covered the entire area, and a strange atmosphere was emanating from The Garden. As was the case with most prisons, it exuded an air of hopelessness and despair, but with this being a supernatural jail, the intensity of the hovering darkness was tenfold. Closing his eyes, Klaus took a deep breath and walked towards The Garden. He knew the instant he crossed the invisible line - there was a barely discernible vibration in the air, giving him a brief but distinct chill. _Ten minutes. Find her, Niklaus._ He kept his eyes closed as he walked on, focusing every fibre of his body on Caroline. A moment later, he felt a presence inside the place... but it was not her. He sped up his steps. Another presence. _ on, my lovely girl, where are you? I need you back. I need to know you are unharmed. I need to feel your arms around me again. I need to... here! Stop! _

It was her. He could feel her almost as distinctly as if she had been standing right in front of him. Instinctively, he reached out to tear down the greens, to get to her - finding that he couldn't. The magic wall was firmly in place. "Witch," he shouted, "hurry up! I found her!" Without waiting for an answer, he lowered his voice as he spoke anew. "Caroline, I know you cannot hear me. But I need you to feel that I am here, my love."

Klaus closed his eyes once more, resting a hand against the magic barrier and letting himself be flooded by the memories of everything they had gone through together. Whenever they had encountered each other, their already heightened emotions had gone haywire, and it did not matter whether it had been in a good or bad way. What was between them had always, always been powerful in the extreme, and that was what they needed now.

_Feeding you my blood after I made Tyler bite you. Holding you. So weak and feeble in my arms. Your lips on my wrist. Your scent._

_The dance. Seeing you standing there in the dress I gave you. Divinely beautiful. My heart beating in my throat. Dancing. Talking. Fighting. _

_You coming to distract me. Strong, fearless, teasing. But nonetheless intrigued, I can feel it. How badly can one want a woman?_

_In Tyler's body. You kissing me. Then yelling at me. I simply adore it. Almost as much as your lips on mine._

_Laughing together at the pageant. A taste of how it could be._

_Staking you for hurting me. Tasting your wonderfully sweet and rich blood.._

_You almost dying on me. Gods, it tears all my insides apart to look at you. And... you tell me that you know. No. Can't let you die. Not now, not ever. In my arms again. Drinking my blood so greedily. Running your tongue over my wrist._

_Yelling. You telling me what a terrible person I am before killing twelve witches yourself. Needing my comfort after that. And I turn you down. Again for hurting me._

_Begging you to help me after Silas. You are there. All that agony, and I can still feel your hands on my skin, burning me. Yelling at me again before... healing me._

_Graduation. Just have to see you. Missing you sorely and wanting you more with each moment I am away from you. Telling you I will wait for as long as it takes._

Something was happening. He felt a shift in the atmosphere and a tremor rock the invisible wall. It would not be long now.

_You coming to see me here. Sending you away. You are not leaving. Asking me to kiss you. Gods, my girl, do you know what that does to me? Kissing you... touching you... you touching me...so perfect. So necessary. _

And the wall was gone.

He could hear Martine yell, "Get her out! Now!" With one step, he was at the thick layer of greens and tore a large hole into it, peeking inside... and his heart stuttered. There she was, leaning against the canyon wall, wide-eyed and unmoving. He could see the flash of joy on her face at the sight of him, and it made him happy in a way few things ever had before. As did what she said next.

"Okay, I'll snap at you some other time for keeping me waiting so long, but... jeez, Klaus, I just _sensed_ you! Through the magic wall, the plants, and with everything inside here being numbed and dimmed, I somehow knew that you were there! How's this possible?"

"Caroline," he urged, holding out his hand, "can we discuss this later? Come on, sweetheart! We do not have much time."

"I can't," she exclaimed, frantically shaking her head, "I can't move. They spelled me the minute they brought me here, and I haven't been able to move ever since. Well, given my history, I suppose I should be grateful for not being tortured with vervained ropes."

Panic shot through him. Never taking his eyes off her, he yelled, "Elijah! Bring the witch, now! Caroline has been immobilised!" In the blink of an eye, he had torn down the rest of the greens that were blocking his path and flashed over to her, seeing her face contort with anxiety.

"Don't come in here! What if you can't get out again?"

"Then I will spend eternity imprisoned with you. Not the worst of fates," he chuckled, making her roll her eyes. But it was not exasperation he could read in them. It was... tenderness. Fighting the overwhelming urge to lean his forehead against hers and just bask in the warmth that spread through his system, he cupped her face with his hands. "Listen closely, Caroline. We will have you out of here in a minute. I need you to forget all your fears and relax. Magic works faster on you when your mind is open and at ease." He paused and brought his face very close to hers, lowering his voice to a whisper. "Think of something beautiful, sweetheart."

Her eyes were sparkling when her lips curved into a smile. "Give me something beautiful to think about, then."

Klaus feared his heart was about to explode. Here she was, imprisoned, magically shackled to a wall, and still she wanted him to kiss her. _Not nearly as much as I want you, Miss Forbes._ He could hear the others approaching, and he knew there was barely a second left. Much as he hated the thought, they both needed to shake off the daze, quickly. Very, very softly, his lips brushed hers before he brought them to her ear. "I have made up my mind," he breathed. "You will have your heart's desire, my love. The mini-fridge shall be yours."

She stared at him, her lovely blue eyes widening. Then she burst into laughter, taking him with her. They were still laughing when Martine and Elijah appeared on the other side of the greens. He sensed that Tyler was there as well, but for some reason, the boy stayed out of sight. Klaus stepped back to provide space as the witch grasped the situation with one expert glance, closed her eyes, raised her arms and began to mutter.

Caroline kept her gaze firmly locked with his, giving him the strange feeling that not even a volcanic eruption would be able to break what was connecting them right now. At the same time, his latent self-loathing started to almost suffocate him at the sight of her being kept like this - he should have put her first, way before his bloody strategic concerns! _I was being such a fool, my love. Should I ever again have to decide between you and whatever or whoever else, I will not repeat my mistake. I will make the right choice. And the right choice will always be you._

Seconds later, her eyes brightened. They all felt the energy floating around them, and in a strong gust of wind, Caroline flew off the wall - and straight into his arms.

There was no time to indulge in the sweetness of the sensation. Or the knowledge that this was _right. _That it was meant to be. In one fluid movement, Klaus scooped her up and commanded, "Everyone, we need to leave _now._ I will be carrying Caroline, given the fact that after not moving her limbs for an extended period of time, they are not back at full functionality yet. Elijah, do carry Martine, otherwise we will not be fast enough." After a brief hesitation, he added, "Caroline, Tyler is here as well, and I understand you have not seen him in a while, but now is not the time for tearful reunion ceremonies. Everything will have to wait until we are out of here, is that understood?"

"T-Tyler?" she stuttered, completely taken aback by the news. And yet, she did not loosen her hold around his neck, as he noticed with a deep, glowing satisfaction. "What's he doing here?"

"Ask him, but not now."

Bursting out of The Garden, the others at his side, he did his best to ignore Caroline and Tyler staring at each other, one bewildered, the other abashed. His head jerked up as he detected very faint noises in the distance, maybe two miles out.

"Go!" he snapped in the general direction of everyone, and they darted off south at full speed. Klaus gathered Caroline as close as he could, despite everything enjoying the wind on his face, the pleasure of knowing that his plan had worked... the all-consuming relief at having her back in his arms, safe and sound.

And the burning happiness at feeling her inconspicuously snuggle into his embrace, heaving a sigh.

_Complications can wait._

_Decisions can wait._

_War can wait._

_Holding her like this cannot._


	3. Chapter 3

**Dearies, you all just rock! Your reviews have been beyond lovely again! Everytime I receive a new review notification, it feels a bit like getting a text from someone you fancy... just wish there was some way to hug you all in person! ;)**

**First and foremost, another very, VERY big thank you to the wonderful DiabolicalBowlerHat for reading through this behemoth of a chapter and finding it worth uploading! :) XXX**

**My apologies to everyone who has taken the time to review the second chapter - as is my habit, I meant to thank you individually via PM before uploading the new chapter today, but in the aftermath of extensive FF downtime, I seem to still have difficulties in accessing the review section and reply to the comments. So I do hope you will forgive me for not thanking each of you separately this one time. You all know how truly grateful I am for every single one of your reviews, and I hope you'll accept my apologies! :)  
**

**Game to War part three is up now... and yes, it will most definitely remain a three-shot. Not even a box of Krug Champagne will convince me otherwise! ;)) I have to make a little confession, though - I'm very, very glad that I gave in to the numerous requests to not leave it at a one-shot... it showed me that I'm still capable of eleven-hour writing marathons, and that was what I feared I had lost after Sanctuaries. So I would like to not only thank you all for the amazing support, but also for talking me into continuing the story after chapter one.  
**

**Please enjoy... and you would make me incredibly happy if you left a few more of those wonderful reviews. :)**

**Much love and thank you all for joining the ride!**

**XXX**

**Sybille**

* * *

The morning brought a few stale rays of light that slowly crawled from an almost purple dawn, seemingly undecided as to whether they should make the effort to brighten the heavily overcast skies or simply skip this grey, lacklustre day.

With all her heart, Caroline wished for a possibility to skip the day herself. After a restless night that had been spent in heated discussion with Klaus and his family over what was to happen next, it had been agreed that Elijah would stay in New Orleans and confer with the witches about a way to take down Marcel's little friend who had appeared to be so exceptionally powerful. Rebekah would take Hayley to San Benito, a small Texan town near the Mexican border to get her out of the line of fire. One of Sophie Devereaux's friends led a large coven of witches there who would protect the werewolf if need arose. Despite no-one other than the New Orleans witches and the Mikaelsons plus Caroline knowing about the baby so far, Klaus insisted on sending three vampires along, compelling them to defend Hayley with their lives and report back to him twice per day. Rebekah was to return immediately, rejoining her brothers in order to prepare for the imminent war. The moment his sister left, Klaus turned to Caroline.

"You cannot stay, nor do I want you to return to Whitmore for the time being. I will be taking you to one of my properties where I want you to remain until further notice, and I expect you to give me your word that you will not leave the place. This is no game, Caroline. After last night, Marcel will do everything in his power to get his hands on you again, and I will not allow that to happen. I want your promise that you will do as I say and remain hidden."

She looked at Klaus, then at Tyler who had been strangely silent during the entire discussion. They hadn't exchanged more than a few sentences, and Caroline felt distinctly uncomfortable with both of 'her' men in one room. It was not out of fear that Klaus might break his word and go for Tyler's throat after all - she knew he wouldn't - but because of the impression that something had changed in the dynamics between the three of them. Where it had once been about Tyler and Caroline uniting against the Original, it now was about lingering tension, unresolved issues and the distinct sensation that the fifth wheel in this scenario was no longer Klaus. When he had freed her earlier and she had all but flown into his arms, her entire being had been filled with a feeling somewhere between coming home and embarking on the greatest adventure trip imaginable. She had wanted him to carry her off somewhere no-one would follow and spend weeks just wrapped in his arms. Which was why it had felt like a highly undesired intrusion to find out that Tyler was there. After stomaching the first shock over his sudden appearance, she had begun to tell herself that she was overjoyed. Her boyfriend had come to help with the rescue mission, of course he had! As he should, and as she would always expect him to! All during the way back to the Mikaelson mansion, she had kept repeating it in her head like a mantra. And when they had finally arrived at the house, she still didn't feel so much as a gleam of happiness over Tyler's arrival. Yet, he was her boyfriend. They had to work this out, and they would have time enough at wherever Klaus was planning to send them. A piercing stab of pain sliced through her at the thought of the war Klaus was about to engage in and at the knowledge how painful it must be for him to just let her go with Tyler. And... at the fact that she would miss the freaking hell out of him. Suppressing the ridiculous impulse to beg him not to send her away, she pursed her lips and nodded slowly.

"I promise. Let's just hope it's not some crappy shack in the middle of a bear-infested wilderness," she muttered, seeing his lips twitch. "And you don't have to send an entire vampire army with me. Tyler will be protection enough, I'm sure."

The silence that followed was of an awkwardness Caroline hadn't experienced overly often - which was quite something to admit to for someone who for years had been the poster girl for 'awkward teenager'. From the corner of her eye, she saw Klaus and Elijah exchange a meaningful look before the older Original said, "Niklaus, we have been conversing all night, and I believe a refreshment is in order. Is there still some white tea left, or will I need to settle for something more mundane?"

Klaus pointed towards the kitchen, not without giving Caroline a quick, worried look before leaving the room together with his brother. "I will never understand your peculiar preferences in tea, Elijah. White tea in the morning... Plain hot water is more effective than that!"

The two Originals continued to bicker until they had reached the kitchen. Very slowly, Caroline walked towards the living room door, knowing but not giving a damn about how moot it was to close it. Klaus and Elijah would hear them anyway. Tyler was running a hand through his hair, gazing out of the window before taking a deep breath and finally facing her fully. Caroline remained silent. She would not make this any easier for him. Crossing her arms, she leaned against the door and waited. A couple of minutes went by before Tyler gathered the courage to speak.

"Care... I know it's been a while and I wanted to tell you I'm sorry that I didn't get in touch sooner. It's been totally crazy, and..."

"And you were so busy with whatever you're doing to help those werewolves that in all those months, you couldn't find fifteen seconds to send me a text, let alone give me a call." Her tone turned acidic and she didn't even try to hide the bitterness that was now breaking its way through her carefully controlled façade. "Of course I understand, Tyler. Isn't that what every dutiful girlfriend does? Wait until there is no world-shattering issue left for her guy to deal with so he is finally free to honour her with his presence for about five minutes? Only to rush off again to run his Save-the-Werewolves Society? Because that's what you're planning to do, isn't it? You have no intention whatsoever of coming with me, have you?"

"It's not like that, Care," Tyler murmured, his voice conveying that it was _exactly_ like that. "Look, the problem they have is that..."

"I don't give a rat's ass what their problem is, Ty! Has it escaped your attention that _I _currently have a problem, too? Namely hordes of vampires wanting to get to me?" she snapped. Hell, this guy was supposed to be more concerned about her wellbeing than that of a pack of random werewolves!

He gritted his teeth and gestured towards the general direction of the kitchen. "It's not like he'll ever allow anyone to harm so much as a hair on your head, will he?"

"Which should be _your _job as my boyfriend! Come to think of it, _are _you still my boyfriend, Tyler?"

_Slam-dunk._

His head fell back and he ran a nervous hand across his forehead. Caroline knew she needed to prepare herself for what was to come. Surprisingly enough, there was almost no pain. Maybe it had simply been too long a time that she had been forced to spend without him, and what would turn her into a sobbing mess under normal circumstances had very gradually made her subconscious recognise the truth many weeks ago. She felt wounded, or rather, her ego did for having been rejected once more, but her heart was not broken. It was sad, yes, but in this very moment she clearly saw that it would make a full recovery. A speedy one, even. Still, she needed some kind of closure. And she would be the one to say it.

"I'm sorry, Care, but I'm just not sure. Things have changed, and we've been apart for so long that I don't really know what's what anymore. Why don't we take some sort of break and in a couple of months, we see where that leaves us."

Caroline lifted her chin and straightened to her full height. "No. If there's something I have learned ever since I was turned it's that compromises don't work for me. It's all or nothing. And what we have is no longer enough for _all._ I deserve better than a guy who puts everyone and everything else ahead of me, who gives me only half of his heart and who doesn't even deem it necessary to return my calls. Who leaves me in the dark on whether he is still alive, on whether he cares about me at all and who is unable to commit to what should be the single most important thing in his life. It's taken me long enough to figure this out, Tyler, but I can do better than that, better than _you, _and I will. Because when I love someone, I love him with everything that I am. I'm prepared to give my life for him. And that's what I ask in return - I want to be loved just as absolutely. I want the guy in question to go to war over me if he has to, and I want him to be unable to be away from me for any length of time without going crazy. I want him to bring down hell and high water on everyone who dares to hurt me, because honestly, I'm freaking tired of people hurting me. And you know what's funny? None of that describes you, Tyler."

He looked at her for a long moment, and Caroline thought she detected something like regret in his eyes before they turned to stone. "And do _you _know what's funny, Care? All of that describes Klaus."

Her heart stopped.

_My God. Ty's right. It does. Can he be... I mean, _really_ be the one... for me? And would I do all those things for him? _

The spinning inside her head turned into something of a tornado, whirling her thoughts around without allowing for logic or reason to restore order. Now was not the moment to think about what she would or wouldn't do for Klaus, although she would very soon have to face that question. Bone-tired all of a sudden, she glanced at Tyler, and amid all the chaos inside her, one final, solid truth emerged.

This was it.

The relationship she had invested so much in, suffered for and put all her hopes on - it was done. What was worst about its end was that she couldn't even blame it on Klaus. Quietly, Tyler and she had run their course as a couple. This was all there had been, there wasn't anything left for them. The unbidden tears that welled up in her eyes were hot and bitter. They were tears of realisation - the devastating realisation that she was actually no longer weeping over Tyler. She was crying out of a feeling of failure, wounded pride, lost illusions. Covering her face with her hands, she sagged against the wall and began to cry in earnest.

Not five seconds later, the door crashed open and she found herself in Klaus' strong, comforting arms. "Get out," he hissed at Tyler who had not moved an inch. "I will honour our agreement, but I never want to lay eyes on you again, Lockwood. Leave my house. _Now._"

Caroline raised her head to cast one last look at Tyler. There was sadness in his eyes, but the overwhelming expression on his features was one of boundless relief.

She wanted to ask about their agreement, but she found that she no longer cared. Without another word, she buried her face in Klaus' neck and gave herself over to her tears.

* * *

Staring out of the minuscule window at the beautiful cloud formations beneath her, Caroline lifted the glass to her lips and took a sip of the red wine she supposed was delicious but just tasted stale on her tongue. The private jet was silent, comfortable and offered every amenity imaginable. Had the occasion been a different one, she would be hopping up and down on her seat like a little girl out of the sheer excitement of leaving the country for the very first time in her life. Only now she was numb, cold and apathetic with no room for anything but the lingering panic over how her life had changed so radically so quickly. Within less than seventy-two hours, she had gone to see Klaus, kissed him, got herself abducted, imprisoned and freed, broken up with her boyfriend and boarded a private plane with none other than Big Bad himself at her side. And now she was going to be imprisoned again - well, the protective custody version of incarceration - for an indefinite length of time with no-one but a troop of unknown vampires around to keep her company. Right before their departure, Klaus had informed her that he had made arrangements for her protection once they arrived, and the vampire army would meet them at the Mikaelson mansion in Vevey, Switzerland. He had described Vevey as one of the most beautiful villages on Lake Geneva, with a breathtaking panorama and a beautiful, cosy atmosphere, but Caroline couldn't have cared less, at least for now. She dreaded the thought of being left alone among perfect strangers, as Klaus would be returning to New Orleans the minute he had safely delivered her at his house, and she wouldn't be seeing him again until his war was over.

It was all just too damn much! She didn't want to be alone! It hadn't even been twelve hours since she had lost her boyfriend, and it wouldn't be long until she lost her... _other boyfriend,_ if only for a limited amount of time. Not to mention the insignificant detail of travelling to the French part of Switzerland and not speaking a single word of the language - _why did you choose Spanish, you idiot? _Turning her head fully towards the window, she tried to hide the fresh bout of tears from Klaus. Not fast enough. She sensed his hand on hers, his fingers tracing soft patterns on her skin. It felt lovely.

"I wish there was something I could do, Caroline," he said quietly, his steady, calm voice enveloping her like a cocoon.

_Oh, to hell with it all_. _I just need that damn cocoon now._

"There is," she murmured, looking at their joined hands on the armrest before she unfastened her seatbelt and raised her eyes to meet his. "I'm cold."

She saw him swallow and heard his heartbeat quicken as he rose and held out his hand. Silently, he led her towards the rear end of the cabin where a small door opened to reveal a tiny but nonetheless luxurious bedroom. Lifting her up, he lowered them both onto the bed, pulling Caroline to him and grabbing a spare woolen plaid that seemed to appear from out of nowhere. Leaning against the headboard, he wrapped the plaid around her, followed by his arms. She rested her head on his chest and let her own arm sneak around his waist, feeling him tighten his hold and pressing an almost unnoticeable kiss to her head.

And just like that, the cold was gone. As was the feeling of emptiness that had threatened to engulf her only moments ago.

"Sleep, my love. Nothing and no-one will harm you. Not as long as I am alive."

"Then see to it that you don't die."

There was a light chuckle. "I have lost track of all the attempts to murder me ever since I set foot in Mystic Falls, but I daresay the fact that I am still here speaks volumes, would you not agree?"

Closing her eyes, she stifled a giggle that quickly turned into a yawn. "Don't worry, Big Bad. I'll protect you." His suppressed gasp was the last thing she discerned before succumbing to exhaustion and drifting off to sleep.

The three words that followed, whispered by a dark, beautiful voice surely were a mere product of her beginning dreams.

* * *

Vevey was even more beautiful than Klaus had described. Refreshed after her long sleep and having managed to shake off some of the gloominess, Caroline hadn't been able to stop staring at the incredible landscape around Lake Geneva from the very second they had left the airport and hit the road. Vevey was at an hour's drive from Geneva, with most of the track running parallel to the lakeshore. When they reached the village, Klaus was trying hard to suppress his amusement at Caroline being unable to give him any answers other than 'Uh-huh' or, alternatively, 'Hm' whenever he explained something or asked her a question. She was completely captivated by the beauty of the panorama, and it became worse when they arrived at the house. It was nestled on top of a mountain overlooking Vevey, with a view that made her dizzy. Below, from the slopes of the mountain all the way to the shore, the village stretched out in bright, earthy colours. The water of Lake Geneva was sparkling in the bright sunlight, reflecting the image of the snow-capped mountains that bordered its opposite shore. Klaus pointed at a number of sights, explaining that the village to their left was called Montreux, famous for hosting a number of renowned festivals all throughout the year, and for being a playground for the rich, albeit a small one. Caroline could only nod, desperately trying to stop staring but entirely unable to tear her eyes from everything she saw. Chuckling, Klaus finally snatched her hand and pulled her to the double doors that led to the mansion. The hall was not too large but beautifully decorated - marble floors, dark woods, elegant tapestries. Caroline took a few steps towards what she assumed was the living room from where she heard quiet breathing and beating hearts next to what looked like floor-length windows overlooking the lake and mountains. Some of the troops, most probably, waiting for instructions. She turned to look quizzically at Klaus who nodded encouragingly.

"Go ahead, I am confident that they won't bite."

"Ha ha," she muttered, her eyes still on Klaus while she stepped into the room. And stopped dead.

Perched on a couple of plush armchairs were... Elena and Damon.

With an incredulous shriek, Caroline flashed towards her best friend, crushing her in a bear hug and whirling her around.

"Oh my God, Lena, what are you doing here? How did you get here? Why... ?"

Elena grinned and held her away at arm's length to get a good look at her. "Klaus called Damon before he got you out and told him the whole story, including his plan to bring you here once you were safe. Jesus, how do you always manage to get yourself into this kind of trouble, Care? I'm so glad that you're unharmed! And incidentally - if you thought I would let you enjoy the perks of a billionaire-sponsored trip to Switzerland all on your own, think again!"

Pulling her friend into another hug, Caroline let herself be flooded by relief and gratefulness. Her friends were here. She wouldn't be alone after all. Her eyes wandered over to Klaus who was watching her attentively, a small smile on his face.

"I assumed you would be more comfortable with some familiar faces around you. Even if they include _his _face," he jerked his head towards Damon who raised his drink, sporting his usual smirk and giving Caroline a wink. Klaus frowned but refrained from commenting. "Will you excuse me for a second? I need to speak to the guards. Damon, why don't you join me?"

With an exasperated groan, Damon stood and emptied his glass. "Sure. Will they be mine to command while you're gone?"

"You wish, mate."

Bantering away, the men made their way to the door, leaving Caroline and Elena to their own devices. Caroline stared after them, not quite able to grasp what he had done for her. Again. He had sensed that she would be frightened to be all by herself, far from home, in a foreign country and under continuous vigilance. And amid all the turmoil, his war and bringing her here, he had made the time to find a remedy for her fears. _Who else would ever do something like this for you, Caroline Forbes?_

Elena pointed towards the sideboard which was barely visible under the sheer number of bottles, carafes and other paraphernalia commonly only found in sophisticated cocktail bars. "Drink? I've no idea what half of these bottles are, but we can begin on the far left and work our way through the entire selection."

Caroline cast a sceptical look at what had to be every alcoholic's concept of paradise, then she shrugged and nodded. "Okay, let's get started. How about this?" She pulled out a brown bottle with a large red seal. "Bénédictine? Sounds very European!"

Elena was already fetching glasses. After pouring the dark golden liquid, they toasted and sipped carefully. _Herbs. Tastes nice._ They nodded in unison, bursting into giggles before they sat. After a moment of amicable silence, Elena spoke again.

"I know you've just spent a couple of days in a prison, Care, but you look terrible beyond that. What else happened?"

For a second, Caroline was undecided between happiness about having a friend who knew her so well and a certain discomfort at being unable to hide her state of mind. Which had considerably improved after sleeping so soundly in Klaus' arms for hours, but she still needed to wrap her head around everything that had happened with Klaus and Tyler. Around the fact that Klaus would leave... and that she didn't want him to. Sighing deeply, she took another swig of that Bénédictine stuff, which was getting better by the minute.

"Tyler and I broke up," she said, grateful to see Elena jump off her chair just to sink into the couch next to her and put a comforting arm around her shoulders. Caroline went on to bring her friend up to speed on the latest events.

"I'm so, so sorry, Care," the brunette muttered as she refilled their glasses. "I really am. But I have to admit that I've been mad at Tyler for months now - how could he leave you hanging like that? Only to show up now, help Klaus get you out and tell you he wants a break? What else has he had ever since he left but a break from your relationship? Sorry to say, but however much I used to like him, he's been acting like a real douche lately. Anyway, enough about him. How bad is it, Care?"

Leaning back into the couch, Caroline shrugged, shaking her head. "I'm not sure. I've expected it to be much worse. It's more numbness than anything else, I guess. At first I thought it was the shock, until I realised that I wasn't in shock at all. It's not like this was totally unforeseeable. But I'm sad, Lena. It feels like failure - and before you say that that's not what it is, I know that. But it still feels like crap. Should I have fought more, or harder? Is there anything I could've done to salvage our relationship? I just don't know, and I'll probably need a little time to figure it out."

Elena nodded, covering Caroline's hand with hers. "I know what you mean. It felt like that with Stefan. I was so sure he was my epic love - you remember just how many times we talked about that - and I really felt like I was the one who made all the mistakes in our relationship. And even though I'm happier than I ever hoped to be, that thought still sneaks into my head on occasion. Not that I'd ever mention any of this to Damon. Maybe we'll both just have to learn that sometimes, things just don't work out, however convinced we are that they _have _to."

"Yeah, maybe." Caroline closed her eyes for a second before looking at Elena again, warily this time. "There is something else."

"Let me guess - you kissed Klaus."

Her eyes almost bulging out of the sockets, Caroline stared at her friend. "H-how...?"

There was a little smirk on Elena's face when she lifted her glass. "I know you. And I've seen you look at him earlier." She paused for a moment, giving Caroline a hesitant glance. "I've seen you look at Matt, Tyler and all those the guys we had crushes on before we were turned. Care, I've never seen you look at anyone the way you looked at Klaus today. And it's not just today. I know we agreed not to speak about the time I had turned it off unless absolutely necessary, so I'm sorry about touching on that now. But if anything, turning it off helped me to see some things with surprising clarity. It wipes away all emotional bias. It cuts right through the crap and makes you realise what the core of the issue is. Remember how I said that thing about the dirty thoughts you had about Klaus?"

Caroline flinched at the memory of the fight they had had that night - and how overwhelmingly angry she had been because Elena had quite simply hit the nail on the head. Hiding in her glass, she nodded.

"I wasn't wrong about the dirty thoughts. But that was not all I saw. There was something else as well. I just chose not to mention it because I enjoyed hurting you, and because I didn't actually care at that time."

Clutching her drink until her knuckles turned white, Caroline stared at Elena. "What else did you see?"

"Fear. You were so scared of your feelings, but it had nothing to do with fantasising about the Big Bad Original in your bed. It was about Klaus Mikaelson slowly but steadily working his way into your heart. He succeeded, didn't he?"

There was nothing she could do but nod. Her voice was barely audible.

"Yes, Lena. I think he did."

* * *

Two hours later, Klaus took his leave. He had spoken to Elijah who had given him an update on how things were progressing in New Orleans. Apparently, Marcel was calling in reinforcement from other cities, and his numbers were impressive. Another fifteen of Marcel's people had defected, one daywalker among them who provided invaluable insight, but they would still require more manpower, and they needed Klaus to return immediately. Sophie had found out that the young witch, who was called Davina, had been given her superior powers by ways of black magic. Now the witches were frantically working on finding out the counterspell, calling in every debt and friendship they could think of. They needed to develop a rock-solid strategy as quickly as they could.

As Caroline was staring at him now, bidding Elena and Damon goodbye - not without reminding Damon that he would lose everything from his manhood to his head if anyone so much as looked in Caroline's direction - she couldn't help but think that her best friend was right. He _had_ succeeded. The thought of having to let him go to war and not knowing when she would see him again hurt her far deeper than her breakup with Tyler. How could she be ready to move on this quickly? _Because you've moved on way before things with Tyler ended? Because there has been more than just flirting between you and Klaus for ages and you were just too much of a coward to be honest with yourself?_ _Because you know that he _loves_ you? _

Klaus was walking towards her now, and she fleetingly noticed Elena pull a protesting Damon into the house to give them some privacy. The vampire troops were scattered around the grounds in some intricate strategic setup the men had explained earlier and that neither Elena nor Caroline had paid any attention to. They were therefore not truly alone, but she was beyond this kind of sensitivity right now. The one thing she knew was that she didn't want him to leave.

When he reached her, he took her hand and raised it to his lips, making her close her eyes at the delicate touch.

"I will return for you as quickly as I possibly can, Caroline. I hate the thought of leaving you in the hands of... well, anyone that is not _me,_ but even less would I want you exposed to all that can happen to you back in New Orleans. You will let me know at once if something is wrong or there is anything you need. Please do limit your time outside of the house, and never go anywhere alone, is that clear? There is an ample stock of B positive in the refrigerator, and you will have a very charming old lady coming in daily to prepare whatever it is you wish to eat. Damon speaks French, so you will not have any language trouble, either. Sweetheart, I do not want to confine you to the grounds, so do me the favour of not venturing beyond Vevey if you need to go out. Marcel does not have a reliable network abroad as he has never extended his ambitions beyond New Orleans, and yet - should you leave the house, take Damon, Elena and at least three of the guard with you. I want you in one piece when I return."

Putting pride, guilt and everything else aside, Caroline moved into his arms, pulling him as close as she could and resting her cheek against his.

"Thank you for bringing Elena and Damon here, Klaus. I don't know how you guessed, but... thank you."

As an answer, his lips touched her cheek, very tenderly.

"Klaus, I want you to be careful, okay? Yeah, you're the greatest Sith Lord that ever lived, I get that, but... you still owe me something, and I want you to pay your debt."

With a dimpled smile and a tiny gleam of humour in his gaze, he gently pulled back and locked his eyes with hers, his fingers caressing her face. "Do tell."

Caroline took a very deep breath and leaned into his hand.

"You promised to lay the world at my feet. I expect no less than that."

There was a long moment of silence before he cradled her face in his hands, his eyes alight with intensity.

"And you do remember what the world includes?"

"You. It includes you, Klaus. No compromises."

It tore at her heart to feel his fingers tremble against her face. He stared at her for a couple of silent minutes, wide-eyed, unmoving. His lips almost touched hers when he spoke again, his voice a silken whisper.

"When I return, you will repeat those words to me. And if you do, then by the Gods, you had better be ready to go all the way, Caroline. "

_Can one faint from mere words?_

"Just come back to me," she breathed, "promise?"

"Always."

His mouth covered hers, and once again, Caroline felt everything inside her turn upside down at how much of himself he put into the deep, intimate kiss. Their tongues met in a slow, almost needy dance, and neither of them noticed how she pushed him against the side of the car, her hands on his chest. Her sighed moans echoed his, and for a brief, delicious, endless moment, the world ceased to exist. She felt her arousal rising inside her, mixed with a strange sweetness and something that spread throughout her entire body, something she failed to identify until Klaus crushed her body against his and buried his hands in her hair with a long, desperate groan, as completely unwilling to let her go than she was to see him leave.

It was the final recognition that if she chose to, she would always have a home.

* * *

Klaus was working very hard on reining in his growing impatience. It would seem that he had made the unforgivable mistake of underestimating Marcel's resources, a failure that took its toll on all of them now. The minute he had returned to New Orleans, he had immersed himself in the development of their strategy, which had initially been based on the fact that Marcel's troops lacked the proper training and would therefore be relatively quick and easy to take down, so the Mikaelsons and their allies would opt for an open fight and get it over with once and for all. Unfortunately, it had turned out that things were not quite so simple.

The witch Davina, whom Marcel had hidden well enough that not even Sophie Devereaux's spy network had been able to find her yet, had apparently managed to place a tracking spell on the entire Quarter, alerting her of the Mikaelsons' every step. The magic did not work outside the Vieux Carré, but within the intricate web of streets and alleys, neither Klaus, Elijah nor Rebekah could move without being monitored. They had found out very quickly, as Marcel's people suddenly began to appear wherever any of them went. Sophie had confirmed that there was a new, very strong trace of magic within the Quarter, one that had not been there before. Their witch and vampire allies were apparently not being tracked, which meant that Klaus and Elijah needed to delegate a number of tasks - something neither of them liked.

What was even more disturbing were the reports on Marcel's growing number of followers. The steady trickle of defectors that joined the Mikaelson camp had not stopped, but there was a considerable force of vampires from other Louisiana towns that Marcel had apparently called in and that was flowing into the Quarter now. They needed to adapt their strategy very quickly, and Klaus had developed a plan he was about to discuss with his siblings and a couple of their other allies. Elijah and Rebekah had gone out to lunch in order to have a not-too-ostentatious fight about whether Klaus was worth following at all; it would be reported to Marcel immediately, giving him the impression that the family was deeply torn and therefore easier to defeat which would give him confidence enough not to work too hard on his counterstrategy. The two of them would be back shortly, and planning would begin immediately after their return.

Pulling his phone from his pocket, he opened Caroline's last text, smiling tenderly at her message.

**Next time, can you please send me somewhere I actually speak the language? Damon always makes fun of me and translates things people never said - ugh!**

They had begun texting the moment he had left Vevey, and despite all of his worries, he never failed to marvel at how much it meant to him to know how she felt, what she was thinking, even what she ate. Klaus called her at least once per day, usually around a time he knew she went to sleep. He liked thinking about her tucked into her bed, the phone at her ear and a sleepy smile on her face. It grounded him, and it gave him perspective. Something he had lacked for longer than he cared to remember. Still smiling, he began to type.

**_There will be no next time. Not without me by your side. Go ahead and kick Damon's sorry ass, my love!_**

The answer came mere seconds later. Klaus loved imagining how she inconspicuously peeked at her phone every other minute, willing it to buzz with a message - just as he did.

**Elena won't let me, can you believe that? **

**_Kick her ass, too._**

**You can be such a jerk. So how about your French?**

His bloody _French? _Chuckling, he tried not to take her question the lewd way, but he just could not help it. Images of Caroline invaded his mind, his beautiful girl all but dissolving with pleasure under his tongue, writhing beneath him in his bed. Screaming his name. Deciding to give her a taste of her own medicine, his chuckles turned into a lopsided grin.

**_I think I will leave that for you to judge._**

For a few minutes, his phone remained silent, and Klaus was just beginning to fear he had taken it too far when it vibrated again.

**Can't really. I have nothing to compare it to. **

_What?_ Was she serious? Had none of those small-town boys known what to do with her? That girl was exuding sensuality from her every pore, and these dimwits had limited themselves to mindless shagging? Unfathomable. Shaking his head in astonishment, he felt a wave of red-hot desire course through his body. It was a rush of lust so powerful it took him by surprise... and he sensed that it was not merely want. It was the deep-rooted need to give her something she had never been given before. Something she would never forget. Gods, he had to win this stupid war, and very soon at that, or he would succumb to madness over being separated from her. Over all this consuming desire and longing.

**_Then keep it that way... until I see you again. I will call you tonight, my love. Eleven pm your time. Make certain that you are alone when I do. _**

**Why?**

**_You will see._**

He pocketed his phone. _Bollocks._ His siblings and the others were about to arrive and he was a hard, twitchy mess. There might still be dozens of firsts in store for Caroline, but this was definitely a first for him. Not in a thousand years had any woman ever managed to turn him on like this merely by thinking of her. Rolling his eyes at himself, he wondered whether ahead of seeing Caroline again, he should spend a few hours pleasuring himself - if she continued to drive him out of his head like this with nothing but a few texts, he would last all of twenty seconds once she was in his arms. He flashed into the kitchen and turned on the faucet, splashing handfuls of cold water onto his face in the faint hope that it might marginally cool him down. Leading a discussion about World War III in a state of teenage-like arousal would bring him worse results than Napoleon had obtained at Waterloo.

Five minutes later, he heard Elijah's car. _Time to switch to full-blown warlord mode, Niklaus. _

* * *

They were nine, gathered around the massive dining room table. Three Mikaelson siblings, three witches and three of the turncoats that had defected. Elijah and Klaus had subjected them to extensive rounds of questioning over the past few days and were satisfied with the outcome. One of the vampires, a youth named Christophe, had fallen for a human, and Marcel had apparently wanted to pressure him into either turning the girl - who knew what Christophe was but had not made up her mind about being turned herself - or abandon and compel her to leave town. Christophe had called it a 'serious conflict of interest', as he was not willing to force the girl into any kind of decision at all and even less did he have any intention on giving her up. It had been his only condition to join the Mikaelsons' ranks - that he and his girl be left alone. Klaus had agreed without hesitation. He liked the young vampire. The boy had a keen mind, a good sense of humour and was willing to learn. There was something very independent about him, and if he decided to stay with Klaus after everything was over, he would need to keep an eye on him going forward. The other two vampires he had asked to attend today's meeting were two old acquaintances called Jean-Paul and René, both rather quiet and observing. They had been part of the Mikaelsons' entourage a hundred years ago, before Klaus and his siblings left town, and it so happened that they had never been quite comfortable with Marcel as their leader. New Orleans was their home, which was why they had stayed despite their lack of conviction. Klaus remembered that even back in the old days, the two of them had eyed his former protégé suspiciously and more than once, he had seen the deep-rooted scorn on their faces. However, they had always been loyal to him and his family, and he had appreciated the way both Jean-Paul and René had their eyes and ears almost everywhere.

None of the three vampires had ever ascended to the rank of daywalker within Marcel's organisation, so once he had made up his mind about choosing them as his foremen, Klaus' first action had been to provide them with daylight rings. In spite of what he had told Rebekah about kindness being a waste of time, he knew that incentives almost never were. The three men would still have to earn his trust - they _were_ defectors after all - yet for the sake of time, he wanted to make it as easy as possible for them to succeed. What better method than bribing them with something they had desperately coveted for decades - or centuries, in Jean-Pauls and René's case? So far, his little gift had paid off. Christophe, who had taken his girlfriend to her parents in Florida before switching sides, making Klaus raise an amused brow at the parallels, did not rest or sleep. He was all over town, trying to talk his friends into joining the Mikaelsons, observing how many new vampires came into the Quarter and making fastidious notes on everyone's movements. Klaus noticed that Elijah, too, had taken a liking to the young man. He appreciated his meticulousness and the way he was organised, as well as the boy's relentless zeal. Jean-Paul had taken it on him to analyse Marcel's defence setup - what was visible of it. He spent hours perched unnoticed on a roof near his former boss's residence and listened, watched, drew conclusions. During Klaus' absence, Elijah had tasked René with giving their steadily growing little army some basic military training. Back in the eighteen hundreds, before being turned, René had been one of the first members of the notorious French Foreign Legion before deciding to try his luck in the New World. He was an effective drill instructor, and Klaus was mildly impressed by the progress he observed on a daily basis. Their followers amounted to thirty-two for now; he reckoned that when the push came to shove, they would manage, but latest counts showed Marcel's numbers at little over a hundred and fifty. Klaus wanted at least some of his people to survive - after all, what was a king without subjects - and he would most definitely not take on a hundred and fifty plus vampires in an open battle. He was reckless, impulsive and the most powerful being in the world, but one thing he was not. An idiot.

_Most of the time, Niklaus. Most of the time._

Casting a quick glance at Elijah, he began to speak.

"We will make our move soon. Moves, I should say, as we will be fighting on numerous fronts before engaging in what will be the decisive offensive. As recent intelligence proves, Marcel is also preparing to weigh in on us in the very near future, and I will not allow him to be the one dictating this game. This _war._ We will act, not react. Let us begin with the simpler tasks. Christophe, Jean-Paul, René - I want you and your men to kill each and everyone of Marcel's people you encounter wandering the streets on their own. If there is more than one, let them go. If they offer their surrender, bring them here, we will have them holed up for the time being." He had discussed this at length with Elijah who had surprised him by not raising any objections. Under normal circumstances, they would have locked horns over Elijah's abhorrence of any unnecessary violence, but to his eternal astonishment, his brother had just nodded, assuming correctly that Klaus wanted to kill those who wandered around unaccompanied to have Marcel order his people not to leave their houses on their own, subsequently binding resources he could have put to better use elsewhere. "I want you out there," he went on, "at all times. Take breaks in shifts. René, I will leave it to you to decide how to organise the men. Once you no longer encounter any solitary vampires, and I am confident that it will take Marcel no more than a day or two to grasp the pattern, you will stop attacking. They should be twenty to thirty men down by then. Elijah?"

The older Original gave a nod and looked at Sophie and the two other witches. There was no doubting their allegiance, having been the ones to initiate the rebellion against Marcel. "Miss Devereaux, once the attacks are over, you and your friends will be leaving town to gather in the swamps near Bayou Muscelini. There is a dry area surrounded by woods on three sides and water on one."

"I know it," Sophie said. "But what's the point? Once Marcel learns that we're all gone, he'll send his people after us, and I'm no general of the confederate army, but there is no way we can escape from there."

Elijah smiled. "Which is exactly why Marcel will not send his entire army, but a portion just large enough to bring you to your senses. Probably around twenty. We will wait hidden and take them down in no time."

"There is no hiding place in that area," one of the witches objected. "It's either reed, trees or water, and the forest is not very dense."

"Trust me. There is. We have been around for a while, ladies, and you must not forget that New Orleans is, to an extent, our creation."

Sophie shook her head. "What about the tracking spell? They will know once you leave the Quarter."

It was Klaus who smiled now. "This is where it becomes somewhat intricate. There is a system of very old sewers underneath the Vieux Carré. In fact, they were built before the first houses, but they had been laid too deep within the ground so they could not be used properly. Above them, a new set of subterranean canals was drilled, and once it was done, the lower level was closed and sealed. Marcel knows about the newer canals, of course, but he has no idea about the original system. Rebekah, Elijah and I will therefore make our way down there and take a little walk. Marcel will be notified of our wandering around and send his people to shadow us, as usual. Once they come up empty, he will immediately deduct that we are using the canal tunnels - only that his men will not find anything there, either. Assuming that the spell is no longer working properly, he will ask Davina to lift it and place it anew. That is the precise moment, Sophie, when you will need to execute the counterspell to block Davina's new curse from taking effect. Three of you will stay behind while the others make their way to the Bayou in order to carry out the necessary magic, as we will require more than one witch to offset Davina's power. Once it is done, Rebekah will take you to a safe place while Elijah and I will rush to the Bayou so we will be arriving ahead of the witches - and Marcel's men. Is that a feasible approach?"

Sophie glanced at her fellow witches questioningly before pursing her lips and assenting slowly. "Yes. Can you give me your word that none of us will be harmed, Klaus?"

He looked her in the eyes and shook his head. "No. I cannot. I may be the most powerful being in the world, but I am not clairvoyant. What I can commit to, though, is that all of us will do our utmost to protect you and your friends until such a time as Marcel is defeated. What happens after that will be subject to negotiation. Can you accept that?"

"I will have to. What's going to happen once you've taken down Marcel's people at the Bayou? We can't possibly return to the city after that."

"I agree," Klaus nodded. "And it also plays very nicely into my plans. We will be the ones to set the scene for the battle. It will be a venue of our choosing, and he will come to us. Once leaving the Bayou, your friends will join you at the safe place Rebekah will have taken you earlier. Once you arrive, there will not be much time, which is why I need you to begin joining your forces and developing a spell that puts Davina out of commission. I do not truly care whether she is killed in the process, although I admit to a certain curiosity as to the true provenance of her superior powers. Be that as it may, we need her out of the picture."

With a raised eyebrow, Sophie muttered, "We could use your mother."

The Mikaelson siblings exchanged a glance before Elijah said, "Trust me, Miss Devereaux. Marcel, Davina, Lucifer and all the King's Horses combined would not be enough of a justification to bring my mother into play."

"Just an idea."

"Which you will please not pursue any further," Rebekah interjected. "Nik said something about a plan that you need to follow in regards to Marcel's demise. What is that plan?"

The young witch looked around the room before leaning forward and pressing the ball of her hand against her forehead. "The original plan was to keep him alive long enough to have him revoke the spell that keeps us from practising magic in the Quarter. We no longer need him for that, as we now know it is Davina who holds the power over us. But there is still the question why she is doing his bidding, and what we don't know is what kind of spells she has cast on him to protect him. He might be linked to her, or to someone else, he might take us all with him when he dies, the way you will extinguish the vampire population should you ever be killed... as long as we don't have the answers to that, Marcel has to stay alive."

"Understood. The first priority is to decimate his ranks. Once that is done, the threat Marcel represents will be reduced to virtual nonexistence. Questions, anyone?"

There were none.

"Get started."

* * *

Caroline was lying on her bed, one hand on her phone, staring at the ceiling. They had had a fun day, going shopping in Vevey, having a few glasses of wine at a lakeside bar and spending the evening watching movies. Well, she and Elena had watched. Damon had taken one look at their choices, murmured something about _chick flicks that will be the death of any form of testosterone _and grabbed a bottle of Bourbon to keep him company at the stately pool table he had confiscated the minute he had set eyes on it. Shrugging, the girls had left him to it and giggled their way through the evening.

The closer they came to eleven pm, the giddier Caroline was feeling. It was just a phone call, wasn't it? But there was no kidding herself. Ever since he had left, her stomach had turned upside-down as soon as she saw his caller ID. Or a text from him. She loved the way he never failed to call, no matter how busy he was, no matter what he was doing. He told her about everything that was going on, about his plans and strategies, asking about her day, how she was feeling and if she needed anything. With every phone call and every message, her unspoken answer had become more and more obvious. _He_ was what she needed. Little by little, her moral outrage at herself diminished. He was still Klaus, she was still Caroline... but something had changed.

Her phone vibrated, sending her heart into complete frenzy. On one hand, she longed to hear his beautiful voice, but on the other, she was also nervous to an extent that bordered on hysteria. With shaking fingers, she pressed the button.

"Hi, Klaus."

_"Hello, my love. How are you?"_

Her eyes closed almost involuntarily. It had been only a day since their last phone call, but she had so sorely missed his voice!

"Good. We had a lazy day with too much wine - like every day, basically - and Damon is sulking."

_"A successful day then, I take it. Why is he sulking? Did you kick his backside after all?"_

"Elena and I watched a couple of chick flicks and he had to go and play pool all by himself."

There was a chuckle.

_"Not that I would ever say this in public, but I have to admit that under the circumstances, I do feel for him."_

"Oh please. What are you guys all afraid of? Losing your manhood or having to admit that you might like the movies?"

_"I think those two go hand in hand."_ There was a brief silence. _"Now do tell me, Caroline - how are you? Honestly?"_

How did he always manage to make her feel like the only person in the universe that mattered? She decided that it was time to give him a little piece of the truth. He deserved it.

"I miss you, Klaus."

She heard his sharp intake of breath and closed her eyes, reliving how he had barely been able to keep himself in check when they had kissed so passionately right before his departure. Not that she had been any more controlled.

_"You do?"_

He sounded surprised... and a bit shy even, the way he had that night at The Grill. _Okay, heart, can you stop wanting to explode, please?_

"Why would I otherwise spend half of my time texting and/or on the phone with you?" she demanded. "And I'm actually surprised that between all of your war games, you still find the time to do that."

_"It is a matter of priorities and time management."_

"You're such a romantic devil," Caroline giggled, delighting in his rich, deep chuckle.

_"Romantic it is, then. I do not find the time, my love, I _make_ the time. And I do it because I wake in the morning with the burning wish to turn my head and find you sleeping next to me. I do it because whenever I happen to look at something beautiful, I see your face in it. And I do it because I cannot stop thinking about how lovely it feels to hold you, Caroline."_

She couldn't say anything. Her heart was pounding so loudly she was convinced he would be able to hear it, and more than anything she wanted to touch him now. To run her fingers through his hair, over his neck, his arms, his incredible chest. And she wanted to be touched. She wanted to feel his hands all over her body. Her eyes were still closed as she ran the tips of her fingers down her neck and back up again, trying to imagine it was Klaus caressing her.

_"Are you alone, my love?" _his velvety voice asked very softly. Longingly.

"Yes," she murmured breathlessly. "In my room."

_"Close your eyes."_

"I already have. I... closed them when you called"

There was a brief pause. _"Why?"_

"Because I love to listen to your voice," she confessed, certain that she had just turned the deepest shade of vermilion. "And I didn't want anything to distract me from it."

His voice had become a bit unsteady, and it made her stretch out underneath the blanket, trying to cope with the tension that was building inside her. _"Would you like me to tell you a little story, then?"_

"I'd love that."

_"Be warned, though. There might be a few adult themes to said story."_

A flash of hot anticipation raced through her. _Phone sex? Am I seriously about to have phone sex with Klaus? _"I think I can live with that," she mumbled. _Oh. My. God. _She curled into a ball and bit her lip, wishing there was some way to glue the phone to her ear. For some reason she couldn't pinpoint, she fervently hoped he wouldn't start by asking her what she was wearing... it seemed so cliché, even if she had never had phone sex in her life. Damn, was she nervous!

Klaus' voice lowered to a husky whisper as he began to speak. _"It is a story about a man who could not love. Its beginnings are lost somewhere in the fogs of time. Suffice it to say that his youth was not a happy one, but one fateful day, his life changed very dramatically. He was turned into an immortal, a creature more powerful than any other that had ever roamed the planet. At first, he was deeply frightened, not knowing how to cope with this new life he had been cursed to live. Over the years, the fear vanished, replaced by a consuming need to protect his brothers and sister who had suffered a similar fate. Enemies besieged the siblings from all sides, and they were in constant flight. Nowhere were they able to make a home, be a family. Over the course of the years, they began to get used to being what they were, to enjoy it even. To develop and heighten their powers. Yet, it took a toll on the immortal. All he had ever sought was allegiance, and yet betrayal was what became his daily bread. Despite being repeatedly deceived and disappointed by even those he considered his friends, he never grew accustomed to how treason sliced him open and left him bleeding. Slowly but very steadily, he turned into a master of cruelty, deception and the most vicious of games. Those who turned on him, attacked him or any member of his family, he quite simply wiped from the face of the earth. And some for no reason other than his own enjoyment. Becoming more and more of a recluse, his loneliness - while self-inflicted - turned out to be the one thing he could not but had to live with. For his own sake, for the sake of his family. Very early on in his life, he had therefore made the steadfast decision never to give his heart, never to fall in love. If the betrayal of a friend could hurt him down to the farthest depths of his soul, what would a woman he loved be able to do to his heart? And so he began to scoff at his brother and sister, and at everyone who did not share his view about love being the greatest of weaknesses. And he truly, honestly believed that he would remain immune to the need for a woman's love until the end of time. Oh, there were women in his life. Countless women of all shapes and sizes, and he was not one to turn down what he was being offered - or went after. For over a thousand years, he indulged in every pleasure known to the world, and each and every little tryst enforced his conviction that no woman would ever touch his heart. Ever. But just like the day he had been turned into an immortal, his life experienced another moment that shook him to the core. A day that changed everything."_

Caroline had stopped breathing, listening to his hypnotic voice and wishing with all her heart that he could be here to hold her while telling his story. "What happened on that day?" she whispered, her hand clutching the phone. She had completely forgotten that she had been expecting phone sex.

_"He had thought to finally have found a remedy for his loneliness, which consisted in creating a new species in his image. The first of what he hoped would become his extended family was a teenage boy, in love with a young woman. To put their newly established sire bond to the test, he made the boy hurt the girl, thus putting her in mortal danger. Somehow touched by the young man pleading for the girl's life, he decided to save her. The moment he stepped into her room, seeing her weak and on the verge of dying, something inside him stirred. A side of him that had been dormant for many centuries. However hard he tried, from that day on he was no longer capable of muting what she had touched deep down in the forgotten depths of his heart. Nothing, not her participation in various attempts to kill him, not her hate, her disdain or even her love for another man, could make him give up on the hope that someday, the miracle he knew he did not deserve would happen. For moments at a time, when in her company, he no longer was what he had become. He was what he had once been. And many a night was filled with visions of her in his arms." _

He paused, and it seemed to her that his voice became even huskier when he went on. _"Many a night, Caroline, is filled with visions of you in my arms, and they haunt me. I cannot even count the times I have seen myself beginning to kiss you slowly and deeply, savouring just how perfectly your lips melt into mine. Something I knew even before you allowed me to kiss you for the first time, my love." _

_Oh... you did? _If Caroline's nerves had been fluttering before, they were now whirling all over the place.

_"And yet, I would never have expected reality to surpass my imagination like that. So what will the real you do to the rest of my fantasies, I ask myself? What will I feel when my mouth wanders from your lips to your jawline, making its way further down to the almost unbearably soft skin of your neck? Something tells me it is one of your most erotic spots, and by the Gods, I cannot wait to take my time and explore every inch of it, all the while feeling you tremble in my arms... desperately holding on to me as if afraid of falling... even though you know I will never let you. And will I be able to continue at this slow, languid rhythm when everything inside me is screaming how I just want to possess you, body and soul? But then there is this other need, too... the need to discover you so carefully, to taste you for hours... Ah, my love, do you have any idea how long I have been craving to run my fingers along the sides of your beautiful breasts, before feeling just how perfectly you fit into my hand? All that soft loveliness... Gods, I can almost feel you, Caroline."_

She didn't care that she was close to panting. She didn't care that she was just about to have phone sex with a guy she hadn't even reached second base with. All she cared about was the sound of his voice, the way his words made her all but convulse... and the heat that was pooling between her legs at the pictures he conjured inside her head. And at how her hands were deliberately following his voice.

"Klaus," she breathed, suppressing a low moan as she cupped her breast, "not fair."

_"As unfair as being here, thousands of miles from you, unable let my tongue circle your hard little nipple the way I yearn to do right now. Your skin in my mouth, your hands running through my hair, pushing my head down, forcing me to devour even more of your incredibly mouthwatering breast... while my hand goes on exploring that wonderful body of yours I simply cannot wait to feel against mine."_

There was a moment of silence, and over her own ragged breathing, she heard his.

_"And this, my love, is where we will leave it at for now. The first time I make love to you will not be over a bloody phone, Caroline."_

She knew it was the right thing to do, but the disappointment hurt her almost physically. She wanted his hypnotic, exciting voice to continue to tell her what he would do to her body, how beautiful he thought her to be... and how badly he wanted her. The way their few kisses had turned her on had been unlike anything she had ever experienced. It made her almost a little apprehensive at what would happen once they took it beyond mere kissing. Jesus, she was already consumed with pleasure now, and he had not even touched her! Even more unbearable than being left all hot and bothered without any chance at jumping his bones was the pure, primal need to feel his skin against hers, to simply know he was as close as he could possibly be - and wouldn't leave again.

"If your goal was to keep me up all night, unable to sleep, congratulations. You've done it," she murmured, incapable of putting the pictures of Klaus' naked body and his hands on her out of her head. "You're not playing straight."

A small, very sexy chuckle sounded from the other end, making her toes curl. _"Well, I did say that it was your choice and that we would take things at your pace, my love. But that does not mean I will not use everything in the arsenal to make you realise what you truly want."_

_I think I know that already. _"And what do you want?" she whispered breathlessly. Oh, she just needed to hear more!

_"Everything you are willing and able to give me. Caroline, at times I want you so much that I find it difficult to channel. And as I said on numerous occasions, it is all or nothing. What you choose to give me, you will give no-one but me, and you will give it wholeheartedly. That is what I want." _He hesitated before he asked in his timid voice, _"Do you see any chance for that? For you and me? Do not get me wrong, my love. I am not asking for your decision now. I am merely asking whether there is a remote possibility of the scales tipping in my direction."_

For the length of a few heartbeats, neither of them spoke. They listened to each other's breathing, and the tension was palpable as Caroline squeezed her eyes shut after tearing them open for a second, almost hoping to find the right answer written somewhere on the ceiling. She felt his fear. With one word, she could crush his every hope. It seemed unbelievable that here was a man whose happiness truly depended on _her_! On Caroline Forbes! She pressed a silent little kiss to the phone before she answered, shaking with emotion. And marvelling at how completely her stance towards him had changed.

"Yes, Klaus. There is a remote possibility."

_"If only I could tell you how blindingly happy that makes me," _he whispered, his voice full of nameless wonder. _"You have asked me what it is that I want. Here is your answer - I want to be able to make you feel the way I do right now, in this very moment."_

Caroline bit her lip. Every text, every call made her happy. To know what he felt - and what she, too, had begun to feel long ago - made her happy. The prospect of making love to him made her happy. The thought of not having to say goodbye anymore made her even happier.

"Klaus?" she said quietly.

_"Yes, my love?"_

"Will you win your war?"

His dimpled smile was dancing through her mind as he answered, _"Of course I will. I always win."_

She swallowed. "In earlier days, how was a soldier rewarded when he came home after winning a battle?"

Now it was Klaus' turn to hesitate, apparently not sure what she was getting at. _"I would reckon that the greatest reward for a man who had spent weeks, months or even years crawling through the mud and putting his life at risk was to be welcomed back to a warm, comforting home. To know where he belongs and what he fights for. To make love to his wife. To forget everything."_

Something hot and giddy flashed through her. _Wife._

"Can you just not make it weeks, months or years before you come home to collect your reward, soldier?"

He gave a low moan that went right to her heart, and she knew that had he been with her now, he would have rested his forehead against hers.

_"Wars have been fought - and won - for less. Much less, Caroline."_

* * *

Marcel's defected daywalkers had confirmed that his followers had received no training or specific instructions on battle tactics. Klaus' former protégé seemed to entirely rely on his superior numbers and Davina's powers. He had reportedly been devastated at the number of deserters and the even larger number that had been killed, but for a reason he had apparently not cared to divulge to anyone, he was supremely confident even after all the losses his side had suffered.

Simultaneously, the witches were frantically working on some way to merge their powers into one large stream of magic that they hoped not even Davina would overcome. The challenge, however, was the lack of predictability of the spells the young witch would employ, which made improvisation essential. Klaus had suggested not to rehearse any specific pieces and instead concentrate on the split-second timing they would require to bundle their powers. Attempting to tell a group of witches how to work their magic was not something anyone other than an immortal Original should undertake, he had mused at the sight of a dozen pairs of eyes glaring daggers at him, and so had just grinned, raised his hands in defeat and taken to his heels. Quite a few trees had fallen victim to the women's efforts by now, not to mention the sassy young vampire, a friend of Christophe's, who had been careless enough to walk straight into the line of fire and make a remark on how if they failed, they would always be able to find honest work as loggers. The boy had still not awoken from unconsciousness. It had made Klaus smile. The witches were good. Granted, he did not like the variable in the equation, namely Davina, and the fact that he was unable to foresee what would happen once she unleashed the full force of her magic, but he would just have to take things as they came.

Klaus, Elijah and René had chosen a vast clearing a few miles west of New Orleans, in the middle of nowhere between Lake Verret and Duck Lake. It was only accessible from the east, framed by murky waters and a few sparse trees. The unsuspecting onlooker would not find anything out of the ordinary. Yet, as was the case with Bayou Muscelini, there was a little twist to the place. On its west side, right behind a cluster of small, thin trees, the territory fell steeply towards the water, forming a natural terrace about ten feet below the level of the clearing which did not become visible until one had reached the actual edge of the plateau. Klaus had decided to conceal the witches plus fifteen of his men on the terrace. Sophie had confirmed that they needed no visual contact with Davina to block her spells - on the downside, however, the young witch was certain to feel such massive magical presence the minute she set foot on the clearing, which was why Klaus had ordered Sophie to choose four witches who would stay hidden about three hundred yards from the east entrance to the battlefield and rush to their friends' aid when required. It would force Davina to split her attention and concentrate on two attacks at once, thus exposing her considerable powers.

Their own attack would be carried out in waves. The Mikaelson siblings would be first to strike, taking down as many enemies as they could in one quick raid. Once they caused enough of a stir, the second line would weigh in, followed by a third waiting in the wings to attack the field diagonally and create a breach in their opponents' lines. The moment the battle was in full swing, the Mikaelsons would join in again, keeping their eyes open for Marcel and Davina. Klaus had raised a suspicious brow when Sophie had suddenly approached him to ask for Davina not to be harmed. She gave a number of specious reasons, claiming they needed to find out more about her source of energy in order to avoid similar situations in the future. He had immediately known that the shadowy Miss Devereaux was lying. Well, it was something he would gladly hold her accountable for once this was over, but now was not the moment. There was no doubt the witches wanted Marcel and Davina stripped of their powers which was all that counted on this battlefield. Klaus had always despised witches, with only very few exceptions to this rule. Self-righteous, cunning harpies, never to be trusted and not interested in any views other than their own. _Sounds just a bit like you, Niklaus, would you not agree? Could that be one of the reasons you dislike them so much?_

His phone vibrated, and he dropped the uncomfortable thought. Two vibrations, two texts.

The first message was from Christophe who was acting as reconnaissance patrol.

**Five miles out. On their way. Fast. No sign of M or D.**

Giving a brief nod, he signalled Elijah and Rebekah to prepare for the imminent confrontation. Both of them, plus René and Jean-Paul, had a small group of vampires at the ready behind them, on edge and up for the battle. Klaus felt the stir all over the area, just as he sensed a heightened magical energy vibrating through the air. With another nod, he returned his attention to his phone. And just like that, his steady, slow heartbeat turned into a staccato.

**Please be careful, soldier. Remember the reward that's waiting for you.**

He could not resist. He just couldn't. His Original hearing already discerned the vague noise of the approaching troops, but he needed this. Hitting the speed dial, he held his breath. A second later, he heard her voice, clear and beautiful.

_"Klaus." _Breathless. Excited. Longing.

"I love you, Caroline." And he broke the connection.

It did not even take five seconds for his phone to vibrate again.

**I know.**

Ignoring the explosion of emotions, he pocketed the mobile and focused. For here they came. Had it not been the enemy he was facing, he could have appreciated the sight. About eighty to ninety vampires were storming onto the clearing, yelling and shouting in a way they had probably copied from bad war films. Klaus' eyes narrowed. Not all of them were here. So Marcel had kept a rear guard as reinforcement, or for a second attack should the first prove unsuccessful. He was just about to text Christophe when his phone buzzed anew.

**Counting 25 more back here. Waiting. With M and D.**

**_Stay where you are and report._**

He cast a look to his left. Elijah caught his gaze and nodded. As did Rebekah when he looked to his right. It took no more than a snap of his fingers, and the three siblings flashed forward at full Original speed. They were too fast for the regular vampires to truly stand a chance at seeing them, let alone react to their attack. Klaus saw Elijah tear out two hearts at once, a move that notwithstanding the audience never failed to impress. While beheading one vampire and moving on to the next, Klaus' eyes sought out his sister. Damn, he had to hand it to the girl - there was an eerie, deadly elegance about the way she fought. He had never really taken her seriously, a stance he would probably need to reconsider in the very near future. Not too seriously, though. All through the battle noises, he heard René shout, "Now!" and whirled around to witness their first line of fighters join the action. Before long, the sights and sounds of war filled the air. The Mikaelsons had fully circled the battlefield by now, and right before throwing himself into the skirmish again, Klaus commanded the sidelines to advance.

"We might want to use the remaining resources as well," Elijah muttered while breaking a neck and watching their sister tear out a heart.

"For the reinforcement that is still to be expected," the younger Mikaelson replied. "Do keep an eye on the entrance."

Very methodically, they proceeded to return to what they were. The deadliest killing machines the planet had ever had the fortune of producing. _Or misfortune. Depends on your point of view._ The fight seemed to wage on forever, but gradually, the enemy's numbers were dwindling and the battlefield cleared. There were casualties among the Mikaelsons' troops, too, but the bulk of the losses was very obviously Marcel's, making Klaus shake his head at how entirely unschooled their opponents were. It made him appreciate how exceedingly well René had worked within the short preparation time he had been given. Their men were disciplined, followed orders and fought hard. There would be quite the reward in store for René, Klaus mused while disposing of just another severed head. Which was precisely when his phone vibrated.

**Reinforcement on the move. I'll follow and attack from rear.**

**_Keep M and D alive. Confirm._**

**Understood.**

Another reward he would be giving when this was over. Christophe was good.

"Bekah, Elijah, René. Reinforcements!" he shouted. "Devereaux. Get ready."

Not a minute too early. The moment their remaining, hidden fifteen men jumped over the little mound, the new arrivals stormed the battlefield. And there, at the very back of the invaders, was Marcel. For a nanosecond, their eyes met. Loathing, regret, fury, pain, thirst for revenge... it all clashed in the midst of the raging war. Two men who had deeply cared for each other were now finally facing off. In this one instant, they said a silent goodbye to what they had been. Just as he threw himself into the fight again, Klaus felt a sudden surge of power. Energy. Something was creeping into the clearing like a wall of fog threatening to swallow whatever dared to stand in its way. It took no more than a few heartbeats for him to feel the joint counterspell in his back.

"This does have a certain epic quality, would you not agree, brother?" Elijah commented evenly while snapping another neck.

"Indeed it does. I still wish for it to end quickly," Klaus retorted, flashing off to come to Christophe's aid who was surrounded by four enemies, fighting valiantly. It did, however, not stop him from hearing his older sibling's light chuckle.

"A first, brother. A true first."

"Someone probably poisoned him," Rebekah said from the other end of the field.

They fought and fought. It was no effort for either of the Mikaelsons, and despite its being somewhat time-consuming, they never lost the upper hand until finally, there was no-one left but Marcel and a dozen and half of his people. They were encircled, and the surrender in their eyes was as obvious as a white flag waved at the Mikaelsons' little army. Only one of them was not carrying a signed letter of capitulation.

"Now!" Marcel roared into the increasing silence.

"Witch, something's up!" Klaus shouted not a second later.

And something was indeed.

Elijah, Rebekah and all their remaining vampire allies dropped to the ground like flies. Focusing all of his senses on his siblings, he concentrated on signs of life. Heartbeats. Faint but distinct. Hiding his endless relief, he returned his attention to the witch. For some reason, Klaus seemed to be immune against whatever spell Davina was casting, but he did not waste a second to dwell on the question why. Flashing ahead, he used everything he had. In no more than a few seconds, his entire side had gone down. And in no more than one minute, he had snapped eighteen necks. Hearing the witches leave their cover, he turned to see them walk towards their little group, arms outstretched. From the opposite side of the clearing, Davina appeared, her own arms in front of her body, muttering. Again the curses seemed to all but crash into each other, yet the minute they did, Klaus knew what was going to happen. The first two witches fell. Then another one. And another.

In a blur, he stormed forward and trapped Marcel in his iron grip, one hand at the younger vampire's heart, the other around his throat.

"Stop it. Instantly," he ordered quietly, his eyes on Davina who was still approaching although her steps had slowed down. And another witch fell. "I am very serious, witch. You will discontinue your attack, or by the Gods, he dies. Followed by you."

The young witch just stood, rooted to the spot, her eyes flashing from Marcel to Klaus and back. She was nervous. Despite her immense powers which she had apparently not quite learned to fully control, she was a very young, very confused girl who had not seen a great deal of life. For a second, he considered using her for his own purposes once this was over. She would be susceptible to manipulation, and a witch on his side would prove advantageous going forward. _Later. _His fingers began to graze his former protégé's skin. Blood trickled down Marcel's chest, staining his shirt, and there was a subdued gasp of pain, but otherwise, the boy remained silent. All of a sudden, Sophie Devereaux's voice sounded from behind him.

"I would not do it, if I were you."

"Witch, this is none of your business. And considering how you have been unable to deliver your side of our bargain, namely neutralise this young lady's powers, I believe we can safely state that you do not have much left to bring to the negotiation table. Would you not agree?"

Sophie was now stepping up to him. "I might have an interest in keeping Davina alive, but I sure as hell don't care about _him_,"she snapped, jerking her chin towards Marcel, making Klaus wonder whether there was any sort of history between those two that had nothing to do with keeping Sophie from doing magic. "But I might still need you after all once we found out what this girl is all about." Davina scoffed at that, folding her arms across her chest as Sophie went on. "You seem to be resistant against some forms of magic, which I suppose has something to do with your belonging to more than one species. Anyway, I can't allow you to kill her just yet, and I need you to still be on my side. So here is a little piece of information." She paused.

"Marcel has been linked to someone by blood and magic. Someone you are very familiar with. If he dies, so does the person in question, and I'm pretty sure you'll want to avoid that at all cost."

A black rush of foreboding coursed through him. "Who?"

And when a wicked grin spread on Marcel's face, when a satisfied smile appeared on Davina's, he knew the answer.

* * *

Caroline was growing increasingly restless. For almost twenty-four hours, there had been no word from Klaus. She had sent him about half a dozen texts, tried to call him almost as many times - nothing. The fear was beginning to eat her up, slowly but very steadily. Ever since things between them had begun to develop, he had never failed to phone or text her, and the ongoing silence made her uneasy in a way that was completely different from how she had felt about Tyler not calling her back. It frightened her on a deeper level, and each time she thought about her life without him in it, a frisson of despair captured her heart. Dammit, immortal or not, things could still happen to him! So after just another fruitless phone call in the middle of the night, she had decided to get up and go for a swim. The house had a small but very beautiful infinity pool, illuminated by purple lights once dusk crawled over the mountains. Right next to it was an oval-shaped hot tub, and Caroline hoped that if not the swim, then at least the hot, bubbly water would help her calm down. Donning a thick, plushy bathrobe, she padded down to the pool. Had it not been for the vampire guard and the faint possibility that Damon might appear unannounced for whatever reason, she would have loved to swim naked. Although judging by the sounds she was hearing from Elena's and Damon's room, it would surprise the hell out of her if either of her friends appeared before late morning. With an envious sigh, she checked her phone again before slipping it back into the pocket of the robe and dropping the garment on one of the sunchairs. The water looked incredibly appealing; she had never seen a pool with purple illumination, and she tried to tell herself that she was in the midst of some fairytale. A dip in the enchanted pool would make her dreams come true and all the fear go away. _Yeah, right, Caroline. Just how old are we again?_

Still, the water felt wonderful. It was warm and soft, and the view from the pool down to the twinkling lights of Vevey, Montreux and the villages beyond as well as the towering shadows of the mountains under the brilliant half-moon was simply stunning. Diving underneath the waterline, she swam towards the end of the pool to lean on its edge and look down at the lake like she had done so often before. She just loved this pool. Emerging from her short dive, she ran a hand over her wet face and let her head drop back to let her hair float in the water for a moment. There was something so sensual, so... _erotic_ about this night, and her subdued but ever-present yearning for Klaus was spreading inside her as she briefly lingered on the vision of her back against his chest, his arms around her, his chin on her shoulder as they both gazed down at the night panorama. Caroline did not fight the pictures her mind was concocting. It hurt, but she wanted that pain. Missing Klaus and being in pain over it was still better than using up all of her energy to suppress any thoughts of him - not that that was at all possible, so any effort in that direction was doomed from the start. Her eyes wandered over the horizon, taking in the shades of darkness interrupted by the orange and golden dots of civilisation, and she began to idly make a mental list of everything she would give to share this with him. The air was filled with life, with that inexplicable zest that beckoned her to just shed all her worries and and embrace this particular night. Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply... and all of a sudden, she knew why she felt everything so intensely right now.

He was here.

With a speed she had not known she possessed, Caroline whipped around, stifling a gasp. There he stood, at the edge of the pool, staring at her with wide, burning eyes. His lips parted as he took her in. They stood rooted to the spot, their eyes locked, and she wondered for a moment if the sparks between them would actually become visible. For some reason, she knew that if they ever did, they would be as purple as the illuminated pool. At last, Caroline moved forward, walking very slowly within the warm water, trying to stall, to give herself the time to rein in her raging nerves. Still, over all her excitement, her happiness at having him back and her beginning arousal at the sight of his lean, strong frame, she felt that something was not quite right. Her eyes scrutinised every detail of his appearance, scanning him for injuries, for signs of whatever it was that was going on, but she did not find any.

"Caroline," he suddenly whispered into the otherwise perfect silence, "do you have any idea just how earth-shatteringly beautiful you are? And how painful every day without you has been?"

Her heart missed at least half a dozen beats. "Then why don't you join me?" she breathed, her eyes never leaving his. To her eternal surprise, he shook his head.

"I cannot, my love. Something happened, and we need to head back to New Orleans immediately. Marcel is..."

He stopped when she folded her arms across her chest and glared at him. "No, Klaus. I don't want to know. Not now. You can tell me tomorrow. Whatever it is will have to wait, and there will be absolutely no discussion about this." She was standing in the middle of the pool, seeing his face contort in some deep emotion, something between pain, pleasure and... love.

"Sweetheart, you may rest assured that my heart fully agrees with you. Unfortunately, the current situation calls for a certain degree of rationality." He held out his hand.

This called for drastic measures. She didn't care what had happened. The world was coming to an end? They were all Marcel's slaves now? Michael Jackson wasn't dead after all? Fine. All fine. And not nearly as important as the fact that she needed Klaus, just the way she knew he needed her. _Rationality, my ass! _Whatever was to be faced, she would face it with him, but not tonight. Her eyes firmly on his, she deliberately reached behind her back and swiftly undid her bikini top. Very slowly, she removed the little piece of fabric, letting it float on the water. Her breasts were still beneath the waterline but she knew he could clearly see them in the underwater lights. His eyes were on fire, alight with the battle he was fighting against himself. Or rather, his heart against his head. And little by little, she saw Klaus Mikaelson's restless mind surrender until it finally laid down its arms and stepped aside to let his heart take over. His eyes never leaving hers, he shrugged out of his jacket, carelessly dropping it to the floor. His voice was a hoarse rasp, thick with emotion.

"Say it, Caroline."

Her chin came up as she returned his burning gaze, pride and fearlessness rushing through her at what she was about to say. Yes. Damn it all to hell. This was the man she had chosen, and her choice was irreversible.

"Lay the world at my feet, Klaus. All or nothing. No compromises."

With a groan that was almost a cry, he flashed into the water fully clothed, crashing her against him and assaulting her lips with his unrelenting mouth. They devoured each other with an abandon neither of them had known was truly possible in someone else's arms. Giving themselves up freely and eagerly, they found themselves again in one another.

Klaus' lips were everywhere - the corner of her mouth, her lower lip, her eyes, her temple, her forehead... and back on her lips with a strength and a passion she could not help but meet with equal force. Their arms were around each other as if making sure neither of them would ever escape again. In a move too fast for her to even realise, Klaus pushed her against one side of the pool, trapping her with his body while his lips began to devour her neck. Her head dropped back and her eyes closed at the sensation of Klaus Mikaelson unleashing all of his centuries-old experience on her. Oh, he was good! His lips were pure velvet, as was his tongue when he conquered her sensitive skin. He had been so right - it was one of her most erotic spots, but no one had ever taken advantage of it the way he did. He knew just how and where to kiss her to turn her into a whimpering mess. Not that he was so much better off himself, judging by the way he moaned into her neck each time his lips touched it. God, this was sexy beyond words, and she needed more!

"My lovely girl," he panted, seemingly reading her thoughts, "shall we move this to a more appropriate venue?"

Caroline somehow managed to shake her head and command her shaky voice to obey. "Here. Now."

No sooner had she said it that her hands began to tear his shirt apart, her head starting to spin at the knowledge that this time, she was free to explore his wonderfully chiselled chest at her leisure. She remembered how hard it had been not to get sidetracked by his perfect body the day she had helped him after his encounter with Silas. Sending a quick thank you to the Heavens for finally being able to give in to what had been her fantasy for much too long, she groaned at a sudden explosion of heat inside her. Klaus' lips had found her breast underneath the water, and the feeling of his mouth, his tongue teasing her hardening nipple, his... _ohh..._ his teeth biting it lovingly... it was almost too much for her to bear. His hands cupped both of her breasts now, his tongue never stopping its flicks and swishes, sending little electrical shockwaves all through her body until she could stand it no longer. Summoning all of her strength, she reversed their positions, slamming Klaus against the side of the pool where he had had her trapped only a second earlier. Before he had a chance to gather his wits, her mouth was on his chest. _Ah... he tastes just as incredible as he smells!_ With inhuman speed, her lips, tongue and teeth raced all over his upper body, not giving a damn that half of it was beneath the waterline. His hands were in her hair, locking her against his skin, forcing her to attack him with even more ferocity, and Caroline was positive that not only the vampire guards and Damon and Elena were able to hear his dark, needy growls, but also the entire vicinity. _Who cares? This man, _your_ man, is as turned on as you are. Let them all hear it!_

Without a warning, he pulled her up to him and crushed his lips to hers, wild and passionate at first, sweet and loving a moment later. Encaging her in his arms, he gently bit her earlobe before he whispered, "This is our first time, my love. I do not want to remember it as some rushed, heated event that was over before it began. And if we continue at this pace, I will not stand a chance. So this once, Caroline, will you please let me take the lead?"

Leaning into him and kissing him softly but very, very deeply, she nodded. "You can take the lead anytime you like."

With a chuckle, he brushed his hands over her breasts, kneading them gently, letting his fingers explore every inch again. Before he leaned down to let his mouth follow the path of his hands, he murmured, "I will take you up on that. And I promise you there will be plenty of times I will be happy to have you make me come in a matter of minutes. But not now. Not tonight."

_Could you be any more amazing, Klaus?_

The wild desire was still there, the urge to give and to take, to plunder and possess, but once they had found a slower, more intense pace, they were entirely lost. What they gave each other was not only their hunger. It was intimacy, depth and the knowledge that this was meant to be. That _they _were meant to be. Caroline began to glow with a deep, consuming lust as Klaus dedicated all of himself to devouring her breasts, using his long, nimble fingers, the palms of his hands, his mouth, his teeth. She could feel just how much this meant to him, and how the nerve-wrecking intensity was as new to him as it was to her. They had both done this before, of course, but never like this. Not with this kind of tenderness or the underlying need that drove their every move, sigh, moan.

At a pace so languid she would almost have missed it, his hand began to make its way south. He caressed every inch of her body, lingering on her ribcage, her waist, her belly... before moving to her bottom. Straightening to his full height, he looked her in the eyes as both of his hands cupped her backside, his fingers always moving, caressing, discovering. It was like being on fire and slowly burning to ash, only to be reborn into a new rush of lust a second later. His fingers were now tracing her bikini briefs, running over her skin... and slipping beneath the fabric, pulling it to one side so he could finally cup her butt fully. Both of them closed their eyes when he squeezed her roughly, at the same time pulling her towards him and against his rock-hard erection, all the while his devilish fingers never stopped setting her skin aflame. The friction of her barely covered sex against the bulge in his pants made her whole body tense with desire. Aching for more, she slid up and down against his crotch, her moves aided by the water. Something on the remote fringes of what remained of her reason told her that their joint moan had probably awoken all of Vevey by now.

Abruptly, Caroline found herself being pulled out of the pool and lowered onto one of the sunchairs, a wide, wooden affair covered with a soft mattress. Gazing up at Klaus with questioning eyes, she brushed her knuckles over his cheek as he whispered against her ear, making her shiver.

"I am all but dying to taste you, my love, and I fear the water would spoil my pleasure."

_Taste me? He means... F-French? He... oh... yes! Just do it, Klaus, please!_

She had not even noticed that the last little bit of fabric covering her was gone by now. Klaus was kneeling at the lower end of the chair, his hands slowly caressing her legs, his eyes never leaving hers as he pulled one of her feet up to his mouth and ran his tongue over the little space between her toes. Her back arched from the sunchair, and it was all she could do not to cry out at the piercing stab of pleasure that invaded her body. With a small smile, Klaus began to make his way up her feet, her legs... her hips. His tongue never lost contact with her skin, his eyes were closed as he savoured his slow journey, and every moan she gave, every little gasp, pulled a small, delighted smile from him. It was paradise. And then her whole body tensed when she felt his lips move over the insides of her thigh. She knew she was almost ridiculously wet, and even more ridiculously turned on. Beyond that, something was blooming inside her at the knowledge that she was about to give Klaus something she had never given anyone else.

"My beautiful Caroline, if only you knew just how badly I want this. Just how many times I have dreamed of making love to you with my mouth until we both forget who we are."

Before she could say a word, his tongue ran over the length of her folds - and his ecstatic groan vibrated through every fibre of her existence.

Her eyes flew open and she all but jumped from the chair, a dark cry on her lips. His hands kept her hips steady while his tongue dipped into her again, deeper this time. Without knowing, she opened her legs further, inviting him in in a way she had never believed herself capable of. It was shameless, brazen and dirty. It was divine. With every lick of his incredible tongue, he moaned against her, making her convulse and shudder with pleasure at the sound. And at the sweet explosion of sensation that had taken hold of her entire body. She had not known that ecstasy such as this was possible, and she was sure that nothing would ever drive her crazy like that again.

Until the moment his tongue flicked over her hot, throbbing clit.

Her cry pierced the silence the way a lightning split the sea. It was the most delicious agony she had ever felt... and it made her surrender everything that she was, everything that she knew, and give herself into his hands with a trust and a need that overwhelmed her almost as much as her headless desire. And at that very second, Klaus threw his restraint overboard. His whole mouth was on her, his tongue was _in_ her with a wildness she had half-expected from him but hadn't known to be this intoxicating. He played her like an instrument, shoving her to the edge and pulling her back from it, burying himself in her pleasure just as he didn't hesitate to let her see and feel his own. Caroline was drugged, addicted, helpless at the sight of his head between her legs and the nameless things he made her feel. Then, for a nanosecond, he lifted his eyes to meet hers and gave her an incredulous smile full of wonder before he let his tongue circle her clit again.

"Caroline," he whispered urgently, "let go. For me."

_Oh fuck. Oh God. Oh damn you, Klaus._

Her orgasm was the sweetest, strongest and most incredible thing she had ever experienced. The minute she came, Klaus stopped her hips and legs from moving, holding her down mercilessly while his mouth devoured everything she gave him. His iron grip made the explosion of pleasure all the more intense, but he almost lost his hold on her when another wave of lust made her scream his name into the midnight sky. She let it take possession of her body and soul, let it rip her open and piece her back together. And he was there with her, his hands on her, his tongue very gently caressing her sex as she slowly returned to the present. Before she could catch a first, shaky breath, he had cradled her in his arms, wrapping the robe around her and kissing her face over and over again.

"Thank you, my love," he murmured between kisses, sighing at feeling her wrap herself around him, "for allowing me to be the first to do this to you. I simply cannot believe that anyone could be stupid enough not to spend his life devoted to making love to you like this. You are a revelation, Caroline."

Snuggling deeper into his arms, she brushed her lips over his. "It was... you were... where did you learn... no, never mind that. I don't want to know. Is it always this intense?" she asked, a little embarrassed about her lack of knowledge in that specific area. She had had sex with Tyler and a couple of other guys before him, and it hadn't been bad at all. It had been nice. The only one who had kicked it up a notch had been Damon, but he hadn't done this to her, either, and she had been compelled after all, so in her head, he didn't really count. And not even he had ever even come close to the way Klaus stirred all of her senses, made her burn and explode. He tightened his arms around her and pressed a light kiss to her temple.

"To be perfectly honest, it... it has never been this intense for me," he said hesitantly. "I have always enjoyed this, but in a different way. My love, I almost came merely from feeling your pleasure, your complete surrender to what I did to you. It was overwhelming."

Caroline leaned back to look at him. His eyes were sparkling, and the wonder she had seen in them earlier was still there. He had as hard a time believing what was happening to them as she did. But apart from all that, he was the sexiest bastard that had ever roamed the face of the earth, and merely looking at him and feeling his chest against hers made her lick her lips in anticipation. _Okay, seriously? How can I want him again already? It's been two minutes!_ "Then why don't you make me surrender again, Klaus?"

His eyes darkened. "So soon?" he asked, a hint of humour in his gaze. And a world of promise. "You delight me in ever new ways, my love, and I will be most happy to oblige."

Very deliberately, she let her hand run over his crotch, revelling in his sharp hiss. "I would hope so!"

He rose, pulling her with him and making her wrap her legs around his waist while he covered her with the robe again. "Hold on to me." With a speed that seemed unnaturally fast even for him, he flashed them into the master bedroom Caroline had commandeered upon moving into the house, knowing that it was his whenever he stayed here. Putting her down in front of the bed, he gave the robe a little shove, watching it drop to the floor and letting his eyes feast on her naked body. "I do not think there will ever come a time when I would not commit bloody murder for the privilege of being the one to see you like this," he whispered. "And one day, I do hope you might let me paint you. Wearing nothing but... a little something I will be giving you in time."

"What is that little something?" she asked huskily, closing her eyes at the incomparable sensation of his hands on her body.

"Ah, not yet, my lady. Someday."

"Not fair! Teasing a gift, and then..." She didn't get any further as his mouth closed over hers, and a second later, she had forgotten everything but him. Their tongues were engaged in a loving battle while their hands roamed each other's body. Caroline tried desperately not to get carried away. She wanted to savour this, savour him, and if he continued to drive her nuts like this, she would be lost in her own pleasure again. And this time, she vouched, was going to be about his. Her hands sneaked towards the hem of his pants, feeling their way across his chest, his stomach, his abs, until they had reached his belt. Very quickly, she undid it, followed by the buttons, and let his black denims glide off his hips. Without breaking their kiss, he stepped out of them and pulled her close. He was hard as iron, and Caroline decided she had waited long enough. Very tenderly, she let her hand caress the entire length of his cock. _And Jesus, a length it is!_ His low moan made her want more, and on a whim, she shoved him onto the bed, grinning at his delighted chuckle. A second later, neither of them was laughing as they both held their breath when she resumed her ministrations. He twitched in her hand, making her grasp him fully and run her hand up and down his cock, varying between lighter and firmer strokes. She saw him grasp the sheets, his lips pressed into a thin line as she began to increase her speed. Klaus' hips bucked when she pumped him faster and faster, and his moans turned into throaty growls. _Oh, this is amazing! I love to see him like this... and to feel him... he is close... ah, this is so damn sexy... I want him to... _Before she could finish the thought, she was on her back beneath him, her hands trapped high above her head, his mouth at her throat.

"Oh no, not like that, my beautiful girl. When I come, it will be deep, deep inside you."

_How can one sentence make me dissolve like that?_

He leaned down to kiss her softly, lingeringly, his hands framing her face, his fingers stroking her heated skin. When he finally broke the kiss, he stared into her eyes for what seemed an eternity. It turned all her insides to jelly. Then he leaned back, placing a gentle kiss on the tip of each of her breasts before running his hands along her sides. Biting her lip, Caroline was tempted to beg. She needed this, she needed _him_, and she had to know how it felt to finally become one. A moment later, he sat back on this knees, pulling her up and onto his lap.

"Take me the way you need me, my love."

Her eyes closed as she leaned her forehead against his for a moment. _What kind of man is such a perfect lover and such a dangerous creature at the same time? Well, your man, it would seem. So don't make your perfect lover wait. Or yourself. _

Klaus' hands were on her hips as he lifted her a few inches, still on his knees. Taking his face into her hands, Caroline locked her eyes with his as she lowered herself onto his very ready cock. Their eyes widened when they felt each other for the very first time. Klaus exhaled sharply, something between incredulity and pain on his lovely face as she took him in deeper and deeper until he was fully buried inside her.

"Caroline. My Gods," he choked out between gritted teeth, pressing her against him so hard she wasn't sure whether he would just crush her at some point. _My sentiments exactly._ She did not move, giving them both this moment of boundless intimacy. And just like that, she felt a tear trickle down her cheek that was resting against Klaus'. He felt it immediately. His eyes were clouded when he moved his face to the side to look at her.

"Why?" he whispered, and Caroline sensed fear in his voice. Did he seriously think she was having regrets? Her heart broke for him, for all his fears which she knew were so much stronger and so very much worse than her own, and realisation hit her like a hammer. She was the one who would need to be strong for Klaus, the way he had been strong for his family over all those centuries, and the way he always was for her. She would spend the rest of her eternity being strong for him and protect his heart.

"Because this is genuine beauty, Klaus," she said quietly, wrapping her arms around him and starting to gently sway her hips on his lap. They remained pressed against each other while she took him, slowly and carefully at first, savouring their closeness, their beginning bond above everything else. But very gradually, her breathing sped up and her moves became bolder, spurred on by his own little sounds of pleasure. And then her passion finally got the better of her. She wanted him tough and unrelenting now, the way she somehow knew was _his _way, so she began to ride him, and ride him hard. With a primal groan, he accepted her silent request and started to meet her hips with every move, thrusting into her as she took him in. Caroline's head fell back, and her hips seemed to be developing a life of their own, dancing on his in a way she had not known she had in her. His mouth was on her breast, all but inhaling her skin... his hands were on her butt, his fingers digging into her flesh with every friction of her inner walls against his cock. For a short second, Caroline wondered if it was possible to go crazy from pleasure. He was driving her insane to an extent she found almost a little scary. Nothing mattered anymore. Nothing but skin against skin, her uncontrolled, raging desire, the feeling of him inside her. And the way her heart seemed to burst every time her eyes met his and she saw the world in them. Her world. _Their _world.

One hand still on her butt, he let his other hand move to her hip, no longer allowing her to move. On his knees beneath her, he held her steady as he started to pound into her with full force. Caroline wrapped her arms around his neck and let herself be taken, her groans mixing with his own as he worked them into oblivion. She couldn't believe she was about to come again - it was not usually this easy for her. _Oh, but not yet, please not yet! Just a little longer!_ Pulling him with her, she dropped back onto the mattress, wrapping her legs around his waist.

"Do you remember what I asked of you when we first kissed?" she panted.

In a blur, he had trapped her hands in his again, assaulting her neck with his teeth and tongue. "You asked me to make love to you in a way I never have in a thousand years." His tongue ran all the way from her earlobe to her breast, making Caroline give a little cry when roughly he bit her nipple. "You should therefore pay attention to the final credits," he murmured before he slammed into her with a power that put to shame everything he had done to her a moment ago - and this time, she cried out in earnest.

From that moment on, their lovemaking turned into a complete frenzy. Klaus pulled her legs onto his shoulders before burying himself to the hilt again and again, not relenting, not pausing, not giving either of them time to breathe. It was hard, hot, heavy and beyond anything Caroline had ever dreamed of. He was the wildest lover she could imagine - skilled, fast, loud and overwhelmingly erotic. She almost fainted from lust at his feral snarl when her hand sneaked down to her clit, intent on touching herself while he took her, and he slapped it away.

"This is mine to give you tonight, and mine alone."

And then, at the very end, she put herself into his hands just the way she had earlier at the pool. The way she knew she would from now on until the day she died. No fear, no reservations, no doubts.

"Yes... oh God, please, Klaus, _please_!"

His hips rocked against hers softly, slowly now, and that was what sent her tumbling over the edge. The moment her climax washed over her like a storm wave, his lips were at her ear.

"I love you, my beautiful angel. And I am yours as you are mine."

Another tear escaped her while she continued to tremble through her orgasm and heard him whisper her name as he followed.

* * *

They were lying in each other's arms, spent, silent. Caroline had not let go of him ever since he had first touched her in the pool earlier tonight, and Klaus simply could not process all the happiness that filled him in a way so absolute it left no space for anything else. Gods, it had been so much more than he could ever have hoped for that it almost frightened him a little. He knew he could never give her up again. From the moment of their very first encounter, she had touched a chord inside him, and as time progressed, the strange feeling had grown to a point where he had understood that no matter what happened and what she did to him, he would never shake her. She had crawled under his skin, leaving hooks so solid that even if he wanted to, he could not tear them out. Yet it had not been before experiencing the way she gave herself to him so completely, so full of trust, passion and warmth, that he had finally grasped the extent of his own commitment. She was his eternity, pure and simple. And he could not quite ignore the fear that crept up inside his soul at that thought - what if she saw it differently? After all, Caroline was so very young... had he himself not been the epitome of inconsistency at her age? Then again, one of the reasons he loved her the way he did was the fact that she was _not_ like him. Tightening his grip around her, he closed his eyes and let this alien, wonderful peace of mind spread inside him, suppressing an almost desperate sigh at the sensation of her nose nuzzling his neck and her hand lazily stroking his chest.

"You're very quiet," she murmured after a while, and he seemed to detect a hint of unease in her tone for some reason. Her next, timid words solved the mystery. "It was probably not what you're used to. I mean, all those women over the centuries, and here I am, a teenager from some one-pony town in the middle of nowhere, and..." He did not let her finish her sentence, giving a quick, spontaneous laugh and pulling her onto him so she could look him straight in the eyes. Cradling her face in his hands, he gave her the dimpled smile he knew she secretly fancied.

"No," he said, shaking his head, still smiling, "it was most definitely not what I expected. Not in my wildest dreams would I have expected something like this. Look at me, my love. I am grinning like an imbecile, I cannot bear to let you out of my arms for even one second - forget about any trips to the bathroom or the kitchen in the near future, for that matter - and I have an inkling that you can currently feel very distinctly what you are doing to my body. Again. Why do you think that is?"

"Victory?" she asked, her smile tense.

Klaus was just about to laugh it off when he realised that she was serious. In a lightning-fast motion, he buried her beneath him, gathering her as close as he could without crushing her. If reassurance was what she needed, he would pour out his heart and soul in front of her. A brief moment of shock gripped him at the realisation that he no longer feared exposing any of his feelings to Caroline. At all.

"This has nothing to do with victory, Caroline. I have not made love to you to tick your name off a list or prove something to either of us. I have wanted to make love to you because I have desired you since the very second I laid eyes on you, and before you ask - no, that desire is not gone. Making love to you tonight had the contrary effect of exponentially increasing my craving for you and your incredible body. You have grown on me in ways no-one has in a thousand years. I cannot and do not want to tear you out of my heart any longer. And should you choose never to sleep with me again, fine. It does not change a thing about my feelings for you. Although I have to admit the thought of not touching you for more than five minutes at a time is very disconcerting."

"Never sleep with you again? Are you insane?" she blurted out, a lovely flush blooming on her face, making him give her a delighted little grin.

"May I assume from this little outburst that you did enjoy yourself, my beautiful girl?"

The flush deepened, making him wonder if his heart would burst with his feelings for her at some point. "Wasn't it obvious?" she murmured.

"I would still like to hear it. You are not the only one in need of a little reassurance here, Caroline." He could not tell her what it was that he truly yearned to hear from her. She had to say it without coercion. So he would take whatever he could get. She looked at him, her eyes filling with softness as she spoke, her fingers gently caressing his face.

"You seriously need me to tell you what an unbelievable lover you are? I'm sure you've been told thousands of times before!"

"The difference being that this is the first time that I care about wanting to make the woman in question happy. In every respect. I need you to tell me if I did, Caroline."

She pulled his face to hers and kissed the corners of his mouth before covering his lips with hers. They kissed sweetly, playfully, and Klaus felt like running out of the house and shouting his love for her from the rooftop for all of Switzerland to hear.

"Klaus, you haven't just made me happy. You've made me wonder if I've ever really had sex before. And if I did, we'll have to find a new name for what happened tonight. I think you've just turned me into a junkie, because I can't imagine any circumstances under which I could ever get enough of this. Speaking of which... I know there are problems back in New Orleans, and I know something has happened you have yet to tell me about. But can we please just forget everything for now and make love again? And again? And again after that? We can talk about it all tomorrow - the problems, how we're going to solve them, and most of all, what's going to happen with us."

His heart clenched uncomfortably. She would want to return to Whitmore once her connection with Marcel was severed, and he knew he would have no other option than going with her if she did not want to stay in New Orleans. He was just about to say something when she spoke again.

"To make one thing perfectly clear - 'us' means you and me _together._ No long-distance crap. We'll have to find a solution, and I have a feeling that it will be a little painful, considering your infamous pighead, but I'm sure we'll manage. I want to be with you, Klaus, and there will be no compromises. All or nothing. Can you live with that?"

Could he _live with that? _Hell, he had to keep himself from jumping up and whirling her around the room, waking Damon and Elena - who he supposed had been listening in ever since he had stepped onto the grounds - cracking open a bottle of champagne and singing out loud! Even more did he have to keep himself from giving in to the urge to get on one knee right this instant. Instead, he gave her a lopsided grin and raised a brow.

"I just might. And incidentally - who are you calling a pighead, lady?"

With a giggle, she snuggled deeper into his embrace. He sensed that she liked being covered and protected like this... and she would be. For all eternity and beyond. No-one would ever hurt her again.

They held each other for a long time until she finally whispered, "I want more of you, Klaus. Now. Love me."

* * *

Hours later, when the first rays of light peeked over the mountains, they were finally spent. Klaus was holding her close, her back molten into his chest, her arms covering his, knowing that for the rest of his life, his greatest challenge would be to let Caroline leave the safety of his arms every day without succumbing to madness out of fear. But all of this was tomorrow's problem. She was here now, sleeping peacefully in his hold, and that was all that mattered. His eyelids drooped, and he relaxed into their embrace, breathing deeply and evenly when a sudden whisper filled the silence.

"I love you, Klaus."

His eyes flew open at the sound of her almost inaudible, sleepy voice. Impossible! He must have been dreaming! Or she had been talking in her sleep! Concentrating on the rhythm of her heartbeat and breathing, he realised that she wasn't asleep - but she very obviously assumed that he was. Putting a millennium of strength into not letting her notice that he was as wide awake as he had ever been, Klaus resisted the inhumanly powerful temptation of turning her to him, kissing her senseless and asking her to repeat her words a hundred times over. He understood that she was not ready to say them to his face, but it was all the same to him. She _felt _it, and what was almost as important, she was aware that she did.

She loved him.

Caroline loved him, and for that love he would go to war until all time ended. The link between her and Marcel would be severed, and whatever else he would need to overcome for her, he would. Always and forever.

And for the first time since he had lost his faith a thousand years ago, Niklaus Mikaelson closed his eyes and prayed to the ancient gods his family had once believed in.

For her. For _them._

**_THE END_**


End file.
